This piece is by Morgan Weckman as part of her Civic Action Project:
Do you need ideas for NHS hours? Or are you looking for a volunteer experience that would benefit the Milwaukee area? If so, you should consider looking into pollution cleanup opportunities around Lake Michigan. It is not commonly known about the effects of pollution in the Great Lakes, but the reality is that pollution, especially plastic, is negatively affecting the ecosystem. Pieces of plastic are being found in animals, and microscopic pieces are even being found in treated drinking water.
According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, upwards of 22 million pounds of plastic end up in the Great Lakes every year. The problem with plastic is that it doesn’t decompose; it just breaks up into smaller and smaller parts, eventually forming microplastics. These microplastics then circulate around the environment, and can even evaporate into the atmosphere. They can also absorb a variety of chemicals, many of which are toxic. This leads to many concerns about possible effects on humans and animals as plastic makes its way into the food chain. According to a study that took fish from the Milwaukee, St. Joseph, and Muskegon rivers, about 85% of those caught had ingested microplastics. Without preventing and cleaning up pollution, this number will continue to rise and pose an even larger threat to the ecosystem. Many experts worry about the rise in animal deaths from ingesting toxins and suffocation (resulting from mistaking litter for food) and rightly advocate for cleaning up pollution before the ecosystem collapse.
This is where you come in. The most effective method of preventing pollution is reducing the use of plastic, especially single-use plastics such as plastic straws or water bottles. However, this won’t solve the problem of millions of pounds of plastic and other pollutants currently in Lake Michigan. We need to clean up what’s already out there. Many organizations throughout the Milwaukee area hold cleanups along shorelines, many of which accept volunteers. Not only one thing will solve this problem, but any little bit helps.
Check out these organizations:
Milwaukee Riverkeepers: an organization whose “mission is to protect, improve and advocate for water quality, riparian wildlife habitat, and sound land management in the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic River Watersheds.” They hold a variety of events and programs, their most well-known being the adopt-a-river program. This program allows anyone to “adopt” a part of a river in the Milwaukee River Basin, and pick up litter at least two times per year.
View their website at milwaukeeriverkeeper.org.
Alliance for the Great Lakes: an organization committed to keeping the Great Lakes clean. They do a lot of advocacy and cleanup around the Great Lakes. There are many volunteer and event opportunities throughout the year, including an Adopt-A-Beach program.
View their website at greatlakes.org/get-involved/.