A couple of greenbacks might not go far in today’s economy, but it gave five Iola High School leadership class students something more to text about Saturday.
They were among the 24 public-spirited scavengers who picked up trash along a 21⁄2-mile stretch of Prairie Spirit Trail in Iola. Walking the mile and a half of completed trail and another mile of trail to be opened later this year, they filled 45 large trash bags with everything from Styrofoam cups to plastic bags to aluminum beverage cans.
Some items, such as a 10-foot section of plastic pipe, were too big to bag.
The collection began at 9 a.m. and was expected to last until mid-afternoon, but with many hands the cleanup was completed well before noon.
The found money wasn’t much compensation for the students, who dragged heavy plastic bags filled with trash. Satisfaction from helping out was a far greater dividend, as they made their way into thickets beside the trail.
“Ouch!” exclaimed Essence Owens, as prickly weeds poked her sandaled foot, prompting fellow students to laugh and make light of her mostly feinted discomfort.
In addition to the high school students, a dozen Thrive Allen County volunteers and seven more trail fanciers from Garnett showed up to help. Iolan Georgia Masterson was persistent in her approach, forging into brushy areas north of West Street.
“Some poison ivy along here,” an observer noted.
Not to worry, said Masterson, “I’m not allergic.”
Thrive Executive Director David Toland and volunteer Fred Heismeyer drove the trail in Toland’s pickup, loaded with trees purchased at the Iola Tree Board sale. The men planned to plant the trees alongside the trail but reconsidered after realizing that a spade shoved too deep could sever unseen utility lines.
“We’ll have to check on that before planting the trees,” Toland said.
At the trail’s intersection with Coon Creek, workers picked up mounds of trash left behind by the runoff of recent rains.
“There was a lot of trash in the creek,” said Toland, who predicted that more litter would be left behind next time the water rises high enough to transport it downstream.
Trash-strewn trail gets spring cleaning
