But the 16-year-old had a muddy but pleasant Monday evening picking up garbage along the Oostanaula River.
“It’s a good cause and it was really dirty last year,” said Jarrett, smiling.
Jarrett, a 4-H member, helped other 4-Hers and New Echota River Alliance members volunteer for an hour picking up everything from bottles and cans to Styrofoam and garbage around the Oostanaula River.
It was part of Rivers Alive, a community-wide fall cleanup, which was sponsored by Rivers Alive of Geor-gia, Gordon County 4-H Clubs and N.E.R.A.
Rivers Alive organizer Kristi Weaver, 4-H program assistant, drove participants over to the cleanup site at the boat ramp at Hwy. 136 at 5 p.m.
While 4-Hers removed litter from the land, New Echota River Alliance president Dan McBee made a splash collecting trash in the water.
Land and water litter was less this year.
“It’s hard to say whether it’s getting better or worse,” said Weaver. “I don’t really know, but you are con-stantly wondering why people want to dump things.”
“Last year we were able to walk down low and by the banks, but the river (water level) is up high (this time)” said Kurt Sutherland of 4-H.
Volunteers agreed that the strangest object found near the river was a toilet. A pillow and blanket, a stray kitten and men’s boxer shorts tied for second.
Weaver told volunteers that an aluminum can takes 80 to 200 years to become biodegradable and that protecting local rivers begins with taking care of the land.
“They (local citizens) might give it a second thought about throwing a Coke can on the land if they knew,” said Weaver.
Ashworth Middle School student and 4-H volunteer Jonathon Nesbitt was a first time participant.
“I’m doing this for two reasons: agricultural project and to help the environment,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone, before the cleanup.
Working as a team, Jonathon and his mom, Debbie Nesbitt, collected rotting trash, several empty beer cans and fishing containers.
“He said, ‘I know we pollute, but we don’t mean (to),’ and I think he learned a lot,” said Debbie of her 11-year-old son.
The amount collected totaled around 800 to 900 pounds, estimated Sutherland.
Visit www.riversalive.org to learn more about the cleanup event that takes place each year across the state of Georgia.
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