On the second day, Mr. Yu was giving a talk about recycling for the 7th graders. It was also raining heavily, so we did not do any litter cleaning. However, I learned about how water sampling works. The “unclean” sample will turn yellow. Some samples did not turn yellow but fluorescence as they were put under UV light. It was fascinating to see the correlation between the distance of the spillage and the number of fluorescence samples. This method was one step in tracking the spillage sites that actively harm our water source. Next, Mr. Yu brought Sydney and me to more trash trap sites, and we saw a $175,000 trash trap owned by the city of Atlanta.
He said that one day, we might clean up that trap. Mr. Yu also showed us a site where they still use the combined sewage/water system. He said it was crucial to keep this river safe for the safety of the people in the area, especially the students from the school right next to the trash trap. The most exciting aspect of my service with Chattahoochee River is the knowledge I retained from many people with different specialties in every session. They had scientists who worked on the water samplings and littering tracking. They also had people who work mainly on social media and fundraising. Volunteering with them helps me realize how much impact a person can make towards “cleaning” our environment.
After getting back to the office, we sometimes discussed the final project for the course. Mr. Yu let us freely decide on the topic that we want to do. He also provided us with data links that might contain the number needed for our presentation. We might take some time to review the data, come up with an overview, and briefly talk about recycling and littering. One of the aspects that leads us to this thought might be coming from the fact that we would visit different sites along the Chattahoochee River and collect litter. We calculated the amount of trash collected for each site into various categories. Therefore, we might be able to figure out a relationship between some of the factors.
Hello! I think it is very interesting learning about water sampling and how some samples are not perceived at dirty, unless with UV light, which informs me on the pressing issue of clean water in major Georgia Rivers. It is also great how you got to meet so many different aspects of people in the organization, to see their ins and outs as well as how passionate people are to save our environment! Your aspects/ideas for the final project seem interesting and I am excited to see what you guys come up with!
I’m curious to see how you all interpret the data from the trash collected. I remember your last post highlighting the variation in trash items found along different sections of the river. I wonder why there are different trash items found at certain sites, and what could be the cause.
I think it is amazing that you are getting to witness and meet the organizations whole team! Everyone does truly play a part in projects especially ones as large as this! I love that they are not only cleaning the water supply, but learning from it as they clean. Your project sounds super interesting. I am very excited to hear more about this and everything you have learned!
Hi Mina. This is fascinating, I hope you are enjoying your work with the organization. Though, a $175,000 trash trap is insane! I would love to know more about this and how it helps relieve the river pollution statistically. Also, I love that your community partner even does discussions with the younger children. Educating the younger generations about simple solutions to ease river pollution will go a long way in the long term, so I am glad that the effort is being made!
Hi Mina,
Thank you for sharing your update from the Chattahoochee Riverkeep experience. That’s really informative to hear about the samples from the flueronece and the connection between the distance of the spillages from sights. That’s so cool to see that the city of Atlanta has a $175,000 trash trap. I wish we had more awareness of this location because I never knew this existed. I wonder if they would look into creating more service projects to keep that area clean and sanitize the surrounding areas near this river.
That’s exciting to hear that you were able to work with different volunteers in the community such as scientists and social media influencers. I love how each person in the community can come together to make an impact in the community . This allows us to realize that when we all come together, we can great a bigger impact. I worked with Delta employees during one of my volunteer projects as well so I really love seeing different groups coming together. For your project, those numbers will help create a bigger picture as to why littering is so bad for the encomy. Maybe you and your partner could use the data to create a recycling location across various areas in Atlanta and use specific target groups or organizations to help sponsor the project. Recycling is a continuous process that needs improvement, so every step helps! I’m interested to see how you and Sydney will create a solution!
Hi Mina, water sampling sounds so cool! I wonder if the technique measures E. Coli or something else because E. Coli measurements also have to do with color change. I’m taking an Honors Seminar about water in the Anthropocene, and my professor said she does research on E. Coli levels in rivers. I was wondering how they are able to locate the site of the spillage, but your post gave me a better idea. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Mina! Your experience with Mr. Yu and the Chattahoochee River service truly shows the importance of environmental stewardship and community involvement. Despite the challenges posed by heavy rain, your exploration of water sampling techniques and their correlation with pollution levels is fascinating! I was unaware that a diverse range of expertise, from scientists to social media strategists, is involved in river cleaning services. I guess it just shows the multifaceted approach necessary for effective environmental action.
Thank you for sharing your experience Mina!