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When it comes to dedication, Joshua Sparber (E.D. for Orange, CA 92865) fits the bill. When it comes to finding creative ways to make his community a cleaner, better place, Joshua always finds ways to make it happen. Yet even this imaginative and inspired Director needs some occasional help. Enter the Gopher, Joshua’s favorite tool of the trade.
So, what’s a Gopher? In his own words, Joshua stated that a Gopher is “a magnificent tool” that is “made of aluminum I believe, therefore cheap and sturdy, [and it] hasn’t let me down yet.” Still curious? Maybe this picture will clear things up.
 Joshua Sparber's Tool of the Cleanup Trade: The Gopher Joshua’s Gopher is his trusty cleanup companion that he takes literally everywhere he goes. He uses this handy pick-up tool to clean various areas around his town. In fact, on Nov. 25, Joshua used his Gopher to clean up four different areas around his community. In the process, he collected over 50 pieces of litter and recyclable material.
“If I see any area that is littered, I instantly go and clean it,” Joshua stated on the Activity Report he mailed to us. “I use a handheld pick-up tool [and] I spot clean around the town.”
The CWM team would like to thank Joshua (and his Gopher!) for his dedication to the environment, and extend our gratitude to the hundreds of other Environmental Directors around the world who care so deeply about the health of our planet. It doesn’t matter what tool you use as long as you’re taking action to make your community a cleaner, better place. And remember that EVERY effort makes a difference! Whether you pick up 1,000 pieces of litter or one candy wrapper, we can make a difference if we all work together. You have the power to change the world; you just have to try.
Posted By: Gordon Alford, CWM Director
Have you ever wondered if you can change the world? On the other hand, have you ever felt like there are limitations to what you can achieve because you think you’re too young or too inexperience? Paige Young (Environmental Director for Mansfield, MA 02048) doesn’t think so. And because of her unshakable desire to change the world, her community is now a cleaner, better place.
On Saturday Oct. 31, Paige and 11 volunteer participants spent the morning cleaning up the grounds of Mansfield High School. Because they all attend Mansfield High, Paige and her group took the litter piling up around their school personally, and decided to take action. In the process, they collected over 1,500 items of trash and recyclable material (see her Activity Report below)!
“It went really well and we cleaned up around our turf as well as our main school grounds and field hockey field,” Paige stated in an e-mail to us. “Everyone seemed to really enjoy it…”
Although Paige is a relatively new member of the Clean World Movement, she got off to a quick start with her campaign. Since joining the Movement on Oct. 7, Paige conducted the Mansfield High cleanup, and has already begun planning and organizing several upcoming activities.
She has also developed a relationship with members of her town’s Beautification Committee. In fact, the committee not only provided the trash bags and gloves for the event, they also arranged for the material Paige and her group collected to be removed after the cleanup! This proved to be a great help to Paige and her team.
We highly encourage all of our team members to follow Paige’s lead and seek out help in your community- especially if you want to make a difference, but don’t have the ability to cover the cost of supplies and/or removal of the collected material.
The CWM team would like to thank Paige and her group again for their outstanding effort in the Mansfield area, and wish them a happy and safe holiday season. They are living examples that changing the world is easy. You just have to try.
 Activity Report from Paige Young's Cleanup: Oct. 31, 2009  Some of Paige Young's Volunteer Participants (Oct. 31, 2009) Posted By: Gordon Alford, CWM Director
What do you get when you combine a group of dedicated volunteers bent on cleaning up the environment with a ski resort that has no snow? A clean, green mountain!
However bad that joke may have been, there is nothing funny about Amanda Morris’ willingness to help clean up the environment. On Sunday, October 11, Amanda (E.D. for Placerville, CA 95667) and several friends and family members were among the group of volunteers who participated in Sierra-At-Tahoe Ski Resort’s Clean Up Day.
Despite a busy schedule, Amanda took the time to recruit her own set of volunteers as well as plan her strategy for participating in the event, which took place in Lake Tahoe, CA. We are happy to report that everything went very well and that Amanda represented the Clean World Movement with class!
“I attended this event with some friends and family that I had gathered and it was a great success,” Amanda said in en e-mail to us. “They [resort personnel] ran the ski lifts and had groups go down the mountain and pick up trash.”
Amanda was kind enough to provide us with some pictures of the event, which we are happy to share with you below.
The CWM team would like to say well done to Amanda for her hard work and commitment to the environment. We appreciate her and her group’s willingness to make the world a cleaner, better place, and thank them for the great job they did as CWM ambassadors during the event. Thanks to them, the mountain is clean, and all the ski resort needs now is some fresh powder!
 Amanda Morris (right) and friend  Freshly cleaned slope at Sierra-At-Tahoe Ski Resort  Mountain of trash bags! Posted By: Gordon Alford, CWM Director
Finally! For those of us who never thought the words advertising and good use could be used in the same sentence, here it is: Joshua Sparber (Environmental Director for Orange, CA 92865) puts advertising to good use by turning his license plate cover into a miniature advertising campaign. The below picture will explain what I mean.
 Joshua Sparber puts advertising to good use! “I do see a lot of people tossing cigarette butts (and also a lot of items) out of their windows while they drive,” Joshua stated in an e-mail to us. “A lot of this stuff washes down drains that go into the ocean.”
Instead of harboring his frustration or sitting back and doing nothing, Joshua turned his irritation into a powerful mobile advertisement that informs cigarette litterers exactly what their butts do to the environment.
“Instead of scolding each one of them individually, an impossible task,” Joshua went on to state in the same e-mail, “I decided to do my own mini-advert campaign.”
Not only is Joshua taking positive steps toward thwarting cigarette litter, he also recycles literally everything he can. In fact, Joshua even returns his plastic collar straps and clothing hangers to the drycleaners on a weekly basis! We love originality, and these are very impressive and creative ways to help reduce, reuse and recycle.
His dedication to the environment is second-to-none, and Joshua is a shining example of what it means to be proactive. So from your Clean World Movement teammates: A big thanks for your dedication, and kudos for putting advertising to good use!
Posted By: Gordon Alford, CWM Director
If you follow the Clean World Movement’s Blog or eNewsletters, you know who the O’Briens are. Now, the family that cares so much about their community and the environment is back at it.
On Saturday, September 19, Environmental Director Lynn O’Brien (The Dalles, OR 97058) and a group of volunteer participants (including her two daughters) spent the day cleaning a vacant lot in a commercial area of The Dalles. Because they pass the lot on a frequent basis en route to the grocery store, the O’Briens were tired of seeing how dirty it was. So, instead of sitting back and complaining, they took action.
In just four hours, Lynn and company collected nine 30-gallon garbage bags full of goodies, or around 40 pounds of litter and recyclable material. “We found everything from cans to cardboard to batteries to clothing…even rusted metal plumber’s tape and a bumper brace for a truck,” Lynn stated in an e-mail to us. “It looks 1000% better…”
Planned well in advance of September 19, the cleanup went smoothly and Lynn had plenty of time to prepare beforehand. Because she is both a volunteer Environmental Director with the Clean World Movement and a volunteer leader with the Earth Scouts, the cleanup was a joint venture between her two organizations. And to help get the word out about the cleanup as well as to help recruit volunteers, Lynn notified The Chronicle, a local newspaper in The Dalles, about the scheduled cleanup (something you can do in your area, too!). They were kind enough to release an article on September 18 describing the activity as well as asking for help from area residents. To view the article, click on the link below.
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2009/09/news09-18-09-03.shtml
The Clean World Movement team would like to thank Lynn O’Brien and her family again for the great job they did with the vacant lot cleanup, and for their outstanding commitment to their community and the environment. We are proud to have them on our team, and look forward to their next activity!
Posted By: Gordon Alford, CWM Director
When Brittany Johnson, Environmental Director for Columbus, GA 31909, told us she would be participating in an activity in late September, she was serious. Given her record of accomplishment (just look at all the Blogs we’ve written about her!), we knew she would follow through.
On Saturday, September 26, Brittany and several friends participated in the Pine Mountain Trail Association’s Work Day. According to the PMTA Web site, the Work Day, held several times a year, is a way to enjoy nature while maintaining and expanding the system of trails within Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in west-central Georgia.
Just as we always encourage our Environmental Directors to make their community a cleaner, better place, we also stress finding original and unique ways to achieve this goal. Furthermore, we recommend that Directors actively seek out volunteering opportunities with fellow nonprofits such as the PMTA. So follow Brittany’s lead and always keep an eye out for fun and creative ways to help the environment as well as your community.
The Clean World Movement team would like to thank Brittany and her group of friends again for representing the Movement with class during the Work Day. Because she was generous with her time and her camera, we have some photos to share as well (see below). Keep up the great work, Brittany, and we look forward to your next activity!
Posted By: Gordon Alford, CWM Director
 Brittany Johnson & Friends  Pine Mountain Trail Association Work Day
On Saturday, September 19, Environmental Director Charlene Higgins (Hamburg, NY 14075) and six members of her environmental club participated in the Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup.
Consisting of three fellow high school seniors, one teacher, and two elementary school children, Charlene’s group cleaned up litter and debris along Lake Erie at Hamburg Town Beach.
“We filled five bags of garbage and one bag of recyclables,” Charlene stated in an e-mail to us. She and her six volunteer participants also collected multiple large items during the event including piping and various other building materials.
Although there were many volunteers from other youth service groups participating in the annual event, Charlene and her team were the only representatives from the Clean World Movement- and they did an outstanding job! We are very proud of her group’s success, and thank them for taking part in such an important event.
For her next major activity, Charlene and members of her environmental club plan to participate in an area-wide tree-planting event called Re-Tree Western NY. We can’t wait to hear about the details and will be sure to post another Blog about her accomplishments.
Thanks again, Charlene, and keep up the great work!
The Clean World Movement crew would like to say thanks to Environmental Director Brittany Johnson for the great job she’s doing in the Columbus, GA 31909 area. With several activities already under her belt, Brittany completed another cleanup on September 13.
Along with six volunteer participants, Brittany picked up eight bags of trash in her community. Most of the material they picked up was Styrofoam, a type of rigid polystyrene plastic that takes an extremely long time to decompose. Styrofoam poses a threat to animals and the environment in general, and we are happy to know Brittany and her crew helped to rid her community of this unsightly litter.
Brittany already has plans for yet another cleanup in the coming weeks. “On September 26, we are going to Pine Mountain [GA] to help the Pine Mountain Trail Association with maintaining the trails and to go hiking afterwards,” Brittany mentioned in an e-mail to us. This is yet another example that involvement in the Clean World Movement is about having fun while also making your community a cleaner, better place.
Thanks again, Brittany, and keep up the great work!
Posted By: Gordon Alford
 Don Terry: Environmental Director of epic proportions What kind of a person does it take to show litter who’s boss? What kind of a person, after putting trash in its place, will strike an epic pose over his defeated enemy? His name is Don Terry, Environmental Director for Brighton, CO 80602, and he has no problems making his community a cleaner, better place.
On September 13, Don and three volunteer participants cleaned up a park in the Brighton area. Don mentioned in an e-mail to us that the cleanup area is popular, thus unfortunately attracting a lot of litter. In just a short time, Don and his group collected two large bags filled with trash, and anther two large bags stuffed with recyclables. “It was a quick project, but a lot was picked up from a heavily used area,” he mentioned in another message to us.
During his cleanup, Don noticed how badly infested the area was with dog “business.” This unfortunate occurrence often happens when dog owners don’t have a way of picking up after their pet. In response, Don contacted the Brighton Parks Department about installing a dog bag dispenser in the park. He is waiting to hear back.
The Clean World Movement team would like to thank Don and his group again for their hard work! We are proud to have someone who puts trash in its place, and who is willing to go out of his way to make his community cleaner and better.
Posted By: Gordon Alford
How many times have you thought, “I really want to have a cleanup, but my community is pretty clean?” Or the classic, “I just cleaned that area up several months ago; it’s probably fine.” If you’re like most people, possibly quite a few times. If you’re like Environmental Director, Charlene Higgins (Hamburg, NY 14075), probably never.
To prove this point, Charlene and a group of seven volunteer participants, all from Hamburg High School, spent two hours cleaning up a pond in their community on September 6. What’s so special about this pond? They cleaned the same area in spring, just several months before.
Located in a wooded area near a middle school, the pond is a favorite hangout for Hamburg’s youth. “There is a trail that kids take back and hang out and skate-board, ride bikes…. and obviously litter,” Charlene stated in an e-mail to us.
Between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., Charlene and her group picked up well over 500 assorted items of litter and recyclable material. “Within the first half hour we found 73 plastic bottles, 37 aluminum cans, 136 fast-food items (cups, wrappers, ketchup packets, etc. from McDonald’s, Burger King, Mighty Taco, Tim Horton’s, and more), 180 plastic items (pens, bottle caps, etc.), 25 whole glass bottles, and uncountable amounts of small pieces of plastic and glass,” Charlene noted in the same e-mail.
Among other honorable mentions, her group also retrieved a metal shopping cart and several plastic chairs from the pond. And this was just several months after Charlene and another group of volunteers from Hamburg High cleaned up the same area! Fantastic work, team.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that there are always areas that need a good cleaning in your community. The unfortunate and rapid buildup of litter in areas that were clean just days before- especially if they are popular hangouts like the pond in Hamburg- is both surprising and disturbing. We encourage you to never overlook areas that you think are clean.
“It [the pond] really has the potential of being such a beautiful place,” Charlene went on to mention in the e-mail. Because of Charlene and her group of Hamburg High School volunteers, this once filthy pond is a beautiful place, again. Thanks and keep up the great work!
 Metal Shopping Cart, Several Plastic Chairs and a Metal Drum; all cleaned up by Charlene Higgins' Group of Hamburg H.S. volunteers  Litter and recyclable material collected by Charlene Higgins and volunteers Posted By: Gordon Alford, CWM Director
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