By Kylie Beck, Social Media Editor 

Litter is trash of any sort that is thrown somewhere it is not meant to be. From gum wrappers and plastic bottles thrown out a window to a broken washing machine pushed down a hill and into a valley; these acts of littering cost Pennsylvania millions of dollars each year to clean up. 

On March 26, my mom Brooke, my brother Carter and I decided to get out on our road, Williams Road, to clean up trash. Since the beginning of the shutdown, we have been going for walks, riding bikes, and walking the dogs up and down the road, and we noticed a lot of trash was collected in the ditches and scattered in the woods. It took about two hours to clean our whole road. We found a variety of McDonald’s cups and wrappers, aluminum cans, plastic water bottles, and plastic bags. 

Cleaning the environment is very important to my family. We believe having a clean working and living space makes life just a little easier. “Cleaning the environment helps the organisms that live in that environment,” my brother Carter said. 

My title as Miss Pennsylvania Junior Teen opens up so many opportunities for me to get out in my community and help the environment. Every year I volunteer at our local creek for the French Creek Watershed Cleanup. This is my favorite event and some of the most important volunteer work that I do.

At the last event in September of 2019, 850 people collected over 34,000 pounds of debris and junk according to the Meadville Tribune. I enjoy volunteering with my community and family in making our environment a cleaner place for everyone.

My family and I are lucky to live in the country and be able to get out at this time to clean up the environment a little at a time.

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