On Sunday, June 23, 2024, 50 ASEZ volunteers from Washington, DC, and northern Virginia came together for a plogging cleanup at Ossian Hall Park. Plogging, the practice of picking up litter while walking, is a simple but effective way to clean up the environment. Because Ossian Hall Park is a “litter hotspot” in Fairfax County, the volunteers chose this spot for their first plogging cleanup. The volunteers collected 200 lbs. of trash from the sports fields, trails, and surrounding areas.
Plogging: A Global Movement for Litter-Free Spaces
ASEZ volunteers from George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, American University, and Howard University participated in the effort. This event not only helped clean the park but also encouraged ASEZ members to incorporate environmental restoration into their daily lives. Through the Earth Recovery Project, ASEZ continues to tackle environmental challenges one piece of trash at a time.
“Maintaining the park and keeping it clean signals to others that the community cares about that place and is invested in keeping it safe,” said one ASEZ member who lives in Fairfax County.
Another volunteer, an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College, said, “I’m really happy to be here and be part of this exercise to clean up garbage so that it will not get into our streams and rivers.”
Gratitude from the Neighborhood
One neighbor mentioned that he often worries about the trash scattered around the park. He is especially concerned about the playground, where he sees cigarettes, broken glass, and other items that are inappropriate for a children’s area. He expressed his gratitude to the volunteers who have been finding and removing the hidden trash around the park.
After the cleanup, one student shared, “At first it didn’t seem like a lot of litter, but as I started looking, there was trash everywhere. It felt great to see so much gathered at the end.”
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