MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. -- “Batman” would have been pleased with the 300 pounds of trash collected in two hours along Mock Road outside of Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany as well as on the installation April 20, but the “caped crusader” might have been upset that a couple of plastic likenesses of himself were found on the side of the road.
The miniature, comic book superhero figures were among discarded plastics, aluminum cans, chunks of metal, cardboard, cigarette butts, paper and foam cup pieces, 20 base Marines and a number of civilian-Marines picked up in recognition of Earth Day 2011. The Marines conducted a fence line clean-up along Mock Road and Installation and Environmental Division members spruced up the base’s warehouse district in observation of the 41st nationwide, annual event.
Cpl. Charlotte Larrivee, military police, Marine Corps Police Department, assisted her fellow Marines with the trash pickup on Mock Road.
“It feels good to help out,” said the 23-year-old from Panama City, Fla. “I pass by everyday on the way home. I live in Leesburg and I see trash on the side of the road all the time. When I heard they were getting volunteers for it I was all for it. I volunteered.”
Lance Cpl. Jacob Kennedy, 20, from Erie, Pa., administrative clerk, Military Personnel, also conducted community service for the first time, April 20. He said he volunteered to help out for Earth Day to make the earth a better place and pick up trash so all the green grass comes alive and grows.
“It’s important to help the community,” Kennedy said. “It’s good to make the community look better. I wouldn’t want to see trash on the side of the road. It doesn’t look good.”
Gunnery Sgt. Jeroice Roberson, 37, from Kinston, N.C., postal chief, Base Post Office, said he volunteered the 20 Marines for the roughly one-mile Mock Road clean-up.
“(It’s) good for the Marines,” he said. “I’m trying to teach them about community service. If they start young doing this, they will be more involved doing community service down the line.”
Roberson added he was surprised at community members who honked and waved at the Marines during the tidying up.
Also during the base’s Earth Day projects, four teams of two to four civilian-Marines spruced up about one and a half miles of the tree line from warehouse 1121 to 1260 near the back gate, according to James Reimer, compliance section head, Environmental Branch, Installation and Environment Division.
Earth Day has been observed at MCLB Albany for more than 20 years, he said.
“It’s a week taken out of the year just to emphasize the importance of maintaining the resources we’ve been given,” Reimer said, noting people should be taking care of the environment all year long.
Robert Metts, pollution prevention section head, Environmental Branch, I&E Division, echoed Reimer’s sentiments.
“It’s to try to reduce the waste that is discarded around the base and try to beautify what we have on the natural resources side,” he said. “Our game warden always polices the woods and all the time cleans up. Even though Earth Day is (a one day celebration), all of our environmental programs from storm water to drinking water to hazardous waste are geared toward keeping the planet clean (all year long).
Personnel are also putting out more markers on storm water outlets, which stress to people not to put anything down them. Nothing other than storm water can go down those drains, Metts said.
In addition, Col. Terry V. Williams, commanding officer, MCLB Albany, and Sgt. Maj. Stephen A. Thomas, base sergeant major, MCLB Albany, helped children at the Child Development Center plant flowers.
Other Earth Day events include a second annual recycling competition May 10 among base divisions and special staff offices to see who can collect the most recyclable material, Reimer said. Recyclable items include those collected both at home and in the workspaces.
The “Golden Trash Can” will be presented to the winner with the most overall recyclables poundage per employee, and Brian Wallace at (229) 639-8616 or Bob James at (229) 639-6993 can provide pertinent details about what items can be recycled, how to prepare them for recycling and where to deliver them May 10.
A project to replant 30 acres with longleaf pines is ongoing, Reimer said.