On Saturday, September 23, students met at Lake Lanier, while trying their very best to stifle their yawns. While other students were sleeping in their warm beds on the first day of Fall Break, others arrived at Lake Lanier at 7:30 am to volunteer. The 60 volunteers from South Forsyth High School that participated in this event were comprised of sophomores and upperclassmen. Other volunteers from the community were welcome to attend as well. Although South sourced most of the volunteers for the clean-up, other local schools were also represented. Some students came with the intention of receiving extra credit for AP Environmental Science, while others wished to help their local lake, which is a vital water source for the Atlanta Metro.  

“I really wanted to help and save the environment,” junior Rachel Barlow said. “The environment is really important. Without the environment, the human population can’t really exist.”

Students were provided with a pair of gloves, trash bags, and bright-colored t-shirts before they were led to the site of the shore sweep. After strolling through the woods, volunteers were grouped into teams and scanned the shore for trash. Despite the humid weather, students were surprised to find the event exciting, particularly when they retrieved an article of litter polluting the lake’s ecosystem.

“My favorite item that I found was a 5-Hour Energy bottle.” sophomore Bhavya Gutha said.

A fishing pole, sewer pipe, suitcase, flip-flop, and swim suit were among the items recovered from the shore. The volunteers ended their search around 10:00 am with content smiles displayed on their faces. Students had filled up an estimated fifty trash bags with litter that had been collected from the shore line. The volunteers were proud of what they had accomplished in a few short hours and more importantly they discovered that they enjoyed serving the environment.

“Your shoes and different parts of your body can get dirty, but you know that this is, in the long run, helping the environment because every little bit helps.” junior Rachel Barlow said.

The volunteer project was led by AP Environmental Science teacher Christopher Webb. He tries to volunteer as much as possible and encourages his students to get involved in a community project once or twice a month.

“I enjoy serving my community and try to do my part to help make it a better place,” said Mr. Webb.

The next event will be held October 12 after school, which will assign volunteers to “clean up litter from the roadways or help a Forsyth County School work on their outdoor classroom areas,” said Mr. Webb. Students who are interested should see Mr. Webb in room 1413.