Environmental Stewardship

The Sarah Wise Wooten Young Ladies Academy (SWWYLA) held its last workshop of the program year on May 6, 2017 at the Ivy Youth and Family Center. The session was action-packed and focused on environmental stewardship. With the help of Member Ferne Mosley and guest speaker, Tia Rutherford, Litter Reduction Program Manager, the participants learned about the importance of recycling and how their individual efforts can have a lasting impact on the natural environment and community waterways.

Ms. Rutherford kicked off the session with an overview of her program’s county initiatives and introduced the participants to a three-bin recycling system that is designed to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. Following the presentation, the participants were put to the test and asked to use their gained insight during a trash audit. A waste basket found at the center served as a perfect example for the girls to work with during this activity. Items in the basket were sorted and divided into three groups: waste, recyclables, and plastic films. The trash audit exercise proved to the participants that the large majority of what we throw away should actually be recycled.

The last item on the agenda was a community cleanup. Equipped with gloves, safety vests, and trash pickers, the group ventured out to the neighborhood to collect litter and waste left out on the side of the road. Together, the participants gathered four large bags of trash and documented their collection efforts on the Prince George’s County Litter Track application.