Not Your Typical March

With March came the scary Covid-19 pandemic. It caused my soccer season to get cut short; most of my competitions and other events to be cancelled.; and no school for two weeks already (with at least four more weeks to go!). It’s a stressful time right now for everyone. Despite the roadblocks, though, Trash for Turtles (Plus) 2020 is still rolling and we are making the best of a yucky situation!

Here are a few of the cool things my family and I have been doing to get out into nature and continue to make a difference.

Recently, we did a clean-up. Actually two, but one in particular was a struggle. River water levels had been super high this past month, so we decided to help clean up some county property. With social distancing and such going on, we ended up doing the whole thing with only four people! It was disgusting, with at least 6 mattresses, 7 tires, and a whole ton of recliners! We also found a dustpan, toilet seat, broken up boat, and SNAKES!!! AHHHHHHH! Just kidding, they were harmless ring-necked snakes. I admire my mother’s diligence when she was trying to get 2 mattress out from under a fallen tree. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, and eventually on day 2 at the same spot, the mattressess were out! What made this clean-up so difficult was that it was all overgrown with vines and dirt piled on top. Unlike the boat ramps we usually do, this spot hasn’t been cleaned up in a long time. That made this one was a lot harder.

Additionally, my family and I created other things while we have been stuck at home:

• We created seed paper from scrap paper and wildflower seeds. We may even plant our paper this summer.

• We planted a variety of plants in our garden, from sunflowers to cucumbers.

• We picked flowers so that we could press them and use them for fun crafts later.

Lastly, I have been going outside every day to look for something to take a picture of. Each day, I look for something that describes how my day is going or my mood. For example, one day I went outside with my mother to look at the bees I saw on a tree the day before. I captured a bee looking at me as it hovered.

So, today I challenge you to do something you may not normally have time to do on a normal day. Go for a run. Draw a masterpiece. Bake a cake. Play chess with your family. Do something kind. Spend time in nature.

Try it! You will have fun!