Editor’s note: earlier copy incorrectly indentifed Cub Scout Pack 137. The copy has been corrected. Fort Atkinson Online regrets the error.
By Chris Spangler
Volunteers armed with garbage bags spent the day after Earth Day walking along Blackhawk Island Road picking up trash, aluminum cans and tires.
About 25 to 30 people participated in the Saturday, April 23, cleanup organized by Jefferson County Conservation Warden Alex Brooks of the state Department of Natural Resources.
Assisting was Dane County Warden Ryan Caputo of the DNR.
The volunteers collected approximately one dumpster full of trash, three-quarters of a dumpster full of recyclables and a pile of tires, mattresses and scrap metal.
Area residents and friends have been gathering for litter pickups along Blackhawk Island Road, located west of Fort Atkinson along the Rock River, in past years. However, this marked the first time that it was organized as a focused spring effort, Warden Brooks said.
Among the volunteers were members of Fort Atkinson Cub Scout Pack 137 and their families, Island Bar owners Jim and Christie Bowers and employees, Blackhawk Island Road residents and neighbors, and members of the public.
The cleanup, which took place from 10 a.m. to about 1 p.m., focused on Blackhawk Island Road, its right-of-way (ditch) and Jefferson County properties. The volunteers spread throughout Blackhawk Island and collected debris from different areas.
“We really appreciate the folks who came out and helped assist with this cleanup,” Warden Brooks said. “We had a great turnout and made a really big impact with the amount of trash that we cleaned up.
“We really would like to thank the Island Bar and Grill for helping out and allowing us to use their trash bins after the cleanup was completed,” he added, noting that the trash was disposed of properly.
Friday, April 22, marked the anniversary of Earth Day, created by the late Sen. Gaylord Nelson.
The junior senator from Wisconsin established the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, “to bring light to the issue of environmental responsibility and transforming the public’s attitude.”
Not long thereafter, the U.S. Congress passed major initiatives that would become the foundation of the nation’s environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act.
Beginning in 1990, Earth Day went global, and two years later, the United Nations hosted an Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
In 1995, Nelson was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role as the founder of Earth Day.
A resident of Blackhawk Island Road’s northeast end picks up trash on April 23.
Jefferson County DNR Conservation Warden Alex Brooks, at left, registers volunteers for the April 23 cleanup along Blackhawk Island Road west of Fort Atkinson.
Members of Fort Atkinson Cub Scout Pack 137 pose for a photo before heading out to collect trash and recyclables along Blackhawk Island Road. They are Lincoln Beavers, front row, from left, Izzy Werner and Kyran Miller; back row, from left, Ryan Werner, Nick Beavers, Melissa Hembree and Nick Miller.
Curt Boschult, an employee at the Island Bar and Grill, picks up trash along Blackhawk Island Road.
Tiffany Marshall and Andrew Statz, a member of Fort Atkinson Cub Scout Pack 137, pick up litter along the banks of the Rock River.
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Cub Scout Pack 137 members Jackson Statz, left, and Andrew Statz walk along the bank of the Rock River on Blackhawk Island Road looking for trash and recyclables to pick up.
Tiffany Marshall and her son, Tayven Marshall, pick up litter along Blackhawk Island Road. They were among Cub Scout Pack 137 members and their relatives who volunteered for a cleanup Saturday, April 23.
Above photos by Chris Spangler.
File photo/Kim McDarison
Two photos above: Warden Alex Brooks shares photos of trash collected by volunteers along Blackhawk Island Road April 23. The bounty depicts approximately one dumpster full of trash, three-quarters of a dumpster full of recyclables and a pile of tires, mattresses and scrap metal. Contributed photos/Alex Brooks.
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Many thanks for this story! Truly a grassroots day. So many groups involved. Perfect weather. . . See you next year!