Blue & Gold Goes Green cleans up

National Honor Society students at Findlay High School are hoping to make a dynamic impact on the health and beauty of Hancock County's environment through a new Earth Day project: Blue & Gold Goes Green. The litter cleanup project is a result of a new collaboration between United Way of Hancock County, the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership and Findlay City Schools and will take place Friday. Nearly 90 students from the Blue and Gold NHS Chapter will pick up and document litter at three sites: along the Blanchard River at Liberty Landing boat launch and park; a 4-mile square throughout county roads 201, 204 and 227; and in their own backyard on the grounds of Findlay High School along Dalzell Ditch, the woods behind the athletic fields, and throughout the parking lots. As part of their membership, National Honor Society students are responsible each semester for at least 15 service hours and must participate in at least one group service project sponsored by the chapter. United Way's volunteer center, Volunteers United, has been assisting students in finding ongoing volunteer opportunities, but the group was also looking for a project. The students will kick off the first day of what will be an all-weekend litter cleanup for the watershed partnership. During their second annual Findlay Earth Day Litter Challenge, employees from Ball Corp. will work with the partnership and the River Network to pick up more litter throughout Hancock County on Saturday and Sunday. The students and weekend participants will use a phone app called Literatti to take pictures of litter gathered, allowing organizers to see what is being discarded, how much, and where. Lauren Sandhu, director of the watershed partnership, also gave a presentation to the students, educating them about the detrimental effects of litter on the local ecosystem, how plastics make their way into the food chain, as well as how polluted water flows into and affects the health of Lake Erie. Administrators and teachers from Findlay City Schools, Sandhu and representatives of the partnership's board of directors, and United Way staff will supervise and direct students throughout the day.