I participated in the Lake Cleanup event for Keep Austin Beautiful (KAB) on February 8th. It was quite a chilly morning (38 degrees), but I saw it as a good opportunity to get some great exercise, get the kayak out of storage, and to clean up all the junk that accumulates in Lady Bird Lake in a surprisingly short time.
Lady Bird Lake is a large section of the Colorado River that was dammed to create the gathering place it now is in the heart of Downtown Austin. Not only do I spend a lot of time running and walking along the 10 miles of trails, I also live on the lake. I am always astonished by the amount of trash that floats along the shoreline, especially after a rain storm! KAB organizes lake cleanup, by land and sea, every other month at meet-up points along the trail system.
This morning was even more exciting as it was my first on the water. I collected 2 large trash bags with my own boat, and assisted my partner in helping him take his bags back to shore. KAB awards a prize for the most unusual object found during the clean-up, boy did we find a lot of interesting things! Countless tennis balls, hats, an oxygen tank, a stripper’s shoe (shown in photo, stripper nowhere to be found), and, sadly, a dead raccoon. We left nature to take care of the raccoon.
My group decided since I had the startling discovery of the raccoon that I should get the prize – a $20 gift card to our local grocery store chain! We also received $10 coupons to a local outdoor supplies company for spending our Saturday morning cleaning up the lake. I will definitely participate in the next KAB event to clean up the lake I love so much, and to also find the other shoe!
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Sarah Taylor | Training Specialist II | Kronos Incorporated
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