Arkansas State University Environmental Club hosted a community cleanup alongside Keep Jonesboro Beautiful to pick up trash around the Parker Park Community Center.

Scout Jones, a senior biology pre-professional major from Jonesboro, is the president of the Environmental Club and organized the cleanup event, Oct. 12 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

They said many people don’t think about how much they throw out each day and it is sad to see how much is left behind. 

“I even have professors who talk about how when they go and walk their pets, they’ll bring a bag and just clean up whenever they walk. It’s a small task. When you’re out in the community, you can do the small thing of picking up as you walk,” Jones said. 

Destiny Taylor, a junior zoology major from Little Elm, Texas, said besides just cleaning up trash in the community they host these cleanups to raise awareness about protecting the environment. 

“Trash generally has a really big impact on not only the land,” Taylor said “This is essentially the beginnings of microplastic. If we’re not able to clean it up and recycle it in time, that microplastic can literally get inside our bodies in due time, and they are practically everywhere.”

Sable Crafton, a sophomore pre-veterinarian biology major from Paragould, is a member of the environmental club and attended the community clean up. 

Crafton said it’s important for her to keep the environment clean because she often sees videos on social media of animals who have ingested or brought trash back into their habitats and are negatively affected by it. 

“It’s our job to even just throw away your trash, that’s how you prevent it,” Crafton said. “So when people don’t do that, then we need to come out here and do our part.”

Jones said they plan on doing more community clean ups on campus in the future, particularly around housing and after events on Heritage Plaza Lawn. 

“It’s kind of sad seeing some messes left behind when it’s as simple as picking it up,” Jones said. “It will be awesome for those who are not even in the club to join us, because it’s just a simple mark you can make on the community.”

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