The annual National River Cleanup Day campaign was held on May 19th and organized locally by the Creek Connections Action Group to help clean up Santa Clara County’s waterways. Santa Clara’s Cub Scout Pack 32 and Daisy Troop 60650 helped by collecting 250 lbs of trash and 10 pounds of recyclables along both sides of a 1.25 mile stretch of San Tomas Aquino Creek near Great America and Tasman, close to where the creek flows into the Bay.
“Participating in National River Cleanup Day is an annual service project for our pack, and is one of the best activities available to teach our youth about the impact of pollution on our environment.”, said Rob Morse, Pack 32 Cubmaster. “Scouting has long taught our youth to be good stewards to the environment, to reduce our impact on the earth, and leave no trace. It is important to teach our children the basics of sustainability and make them understand that keeping our watersheds clean has a direct impact on the water quality in our community.”
A total of 30 Scouts, family members, and community volunteers participated in the cleanup of the site along San Tomas Aquino Creek, one of the 3 cleanup sites in Santa Clara and one of 43 cleanup sites in Santa Clara County. Among the trash collected, volunteers found a pair of wicker chairs, a shovel, lots of golf balls, and a portable radio.
Leading up to the event, Scouts learned how pollution in the creeks affects the Bay. They learned about recycling and how to properly dispose of household waste. They shared this information, in the form of a beanbag trash sorting game, to other Scouts at the 2012 Scout-O-Rama event. All Scouts who participated in the creek cleanup earned their BSA Conservation Good Turn awards.
The annual creek cleanup is one of Pack 32’s community and educational activities. Additional activities include Scouting for Food, Veteran’s Day Parade, Sport-A-Thon, Family Camp, and an annual Pinewood Derby.
About Cub Scout Pack 32
Cub Scout Pack 32 is part of the Boy Scouts of America, chartered by the American Legion Post 419 of Santa Clara, and serves boys in the first through fifth grade. For more information on Cub Scout Pack 32, visit www.pack32santaclara.net
About Brownie Troop 60650
Brownie Troop 60650 is part of the Santa Clara Service Unit of the Girl Scouts of America, serving girls in the second and third grades. For more information on Girl Scouts, visit www.girlscoutsnorcal.org/
About Creek Connections Action Group
The Creek Connections Action Group is a consortium of public agencies and non-profit organizations sharing the goal of protecting Santa Clara County’s waterways. These agencies include the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation, and the City of San José. For more information, visit www.cleanacreek.org/
