A Mazda Miata. A black rhino. The Liberty Bell. A Cessna airplane. Ten or 12 people. They all weigh, give or take, 2000 pounds. Now imagine the weight of any one of those things, but in trash. Trash on the road or in the park- A bunch of plastic bottles and empty cans and litter that weighs as much as a car or a plane. It’s hard to imagine- An empty plastic water bottle feels weightless in hand, and an empty can doesn’t feel much heavier. 2000 lbs of that? It sounds unreal, but it’s the amount that local initiative Hooked on Lancaster has collected from local waterways and trails in the last year. The initiative was founded by Hempfield seniors Ethan Albright and Denver Dumas. Their website, hookedonlancaster.org, says that their goal is to “[clean] waste from the Susquehanna River and surrounding trails/streams while also educating the youth about the importance of stewardship.”
They hold clean up events along the Susquehanna, where they gather a group of volunteers, and lead them in filling up bags full of trash which is scattered around local waterways and trails. Each event grows to be even bigger than the last, with more volunteers and more litter taken out of our trails and parks.
Last month as a part of World Clean Up Day and their own national initiative GrabaBag, they had over 30 volunteers from Hempfield’s Anchor Club and National Honor Society, as well as friends from other local high schools, come together to clean the Riverfront Park in Marietta. There was a palpable feeling of community and drive to fill up bags and bags of litter all around the river bank, and after three hours, the pile of trash collected came to a grand total of 592 lbs of a seemingly endless amount of metal cans and plastic bottles, a few tires, and even a working iPhone 15 (which was returned to its owner).
The GrabaBag event reached farther than just our own area, with groups around the country participating in their own cleanups in partnership with Hooked on Lancaster. Ethan says that they “reached out to a bunch of organizations throughout the nation– National Clean Up Day in San Diego, some local organizations, some environmental clubs in high schools, and Water the Roots in Arizona.”
Hooked on Lancaster also participates in other events like Columbia’s Go Green Columbia event for Earth Day, where they set up a stand to speak about their plans and goals for Hooked on Lancaster. They also went to the Janus School in Mount Joy and talked with over 100 kids there about local animal and plant life, the impacts of plastic on the environment, and other topics related to their goals of helping improve the environment.
The two seniors cite their love of nature from an early age as their main motivation to start the initiative. Ethan and Denver both grew up on the Susquehanna, looking out at the green rolling hills on the other side of the flowing water. The memories of long hikes and fishing trips are what powers them to help keep our outdoors clean and beautiful, and to share their love of the outdoors with the people around them.
That sharing of a love for our environment is something they really highlight as a favorite part of running Hooked on Lancaster.
“Originally we were focused on something more scientific like measuring phosphorus levels but we ended up on this which we’re really grateful for because of the social impact it’s had compared to data collection. To work with friends and help more people get involved in something that’s so beneficial for the environment and our community was unexpected but we’re so happy that is how it’s gone,” Denver reflects.
Another highlight that both Ethan and Denver pointed out is the self-improvement that has come from the experience that is growing Hooked on Lancaster.
“I feel like what Hooked on Lancaster has taught me and Denver is that we can make something, build it, and expand it from a place where I wasn’t necessarily sure if I could make something like it; to what we have now. The journey has let us find out that if we put the time into it and reach out and be social and be passionate about what we do, then it isn’t necessarily hard or a crazy challenge to build it,” says Ethan.
When asked for one piece of advice, Denver says that “if you want to do something, you just have to be not afraid to reach out. It’s so easy to grow once you get over that barrier of just reaching out. You’ll be surprised at how willing people are to help, especially high students that are trying to make an impact.” Ethan adds that “if you are thinking about trying to start or do something, just start it now. You do have the ability to do it, and once you see it grow it’s really fulfilling.”
