Spirits undampened

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Amy Lotven/Herald Staff Writer

ROANOKE RAPIDS - Members of the Eastern Star organization and area Boy and Girl Scouts hiked through the woods Saturday morning picking up trash along the Roanoke Canal Trail.

Roanoke Canal Museum & Trail Director Christina Gordon said 33 volunteers, who ranged in age from about 3 or 4 years to over 70, collected more than 140 pounds of trash.

“The weather didn't deter most people,” she said.

Cathy Gutterson of Girl Scout Troupe 441 said the six soaking wet volunteers from her team had collected 15 pounds.

The effort was in celebration of the Roanoke Canal Trail & Museum's initial Earth Day - honoring the national celebration of the environment.

Earth Day has its roots in the 1970s when the environmental movement came to the national and international forefront.

Back in the museum, Cheryl Brown was helping a group of youngsters create arts and crafts from recycled products.

The group made terrariums out of two-liter bottles, sheep decorations out of used Styrofoam donated by UPS and Lynch's Office Supplies Co., and Akla-seltzer bottle rockets out of used film canisters.

“Wow!” a young girl screamed when the rocket actually worked, blowing an umbrella shaped piece of paper into the air.

Mike Colston, who constructed the device with his daughter Megan, a Daisy Scout, said she was having a good time at the event.

Brown confirmed the children were being taught the advantages of recycling products through the activities.

Employee Ginger Phipps said in addition to the cleanup program, the museum had placed some recycling bins outdoors in order to encourage people to recycle cans and glass, and Ron Smith of Roanoke Rapids High School brought over the electric truck for display.

Other environmentally-focused area attractions, such as Roanoke River Partners and the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center, also supplied information for the event.