The premise is that teams of 15 young people aged 10-18 compete to plant the largest trees, haul the most litter and clean up the most drains. The “Golden Pail”, yet to be revealed, is the prize.
A dozen high school and middle school students dug nearly as many holes in the North Commons Park southeast lawn for tree seedlings after a severe storm blew through Saturday morning.
Earth Day marked the launch of “Litter League”, a summer-long program that challenges youth and their families to solve environmental problems.
Six teams have joined the league so far: Northside Bulldogs and Northeast Green Team, Youth Na Power, Youth N’Power, TC Rise, India Association of Minnesota, Heritage Youth Sports Foundation, and Youth N’Power. Monthly challenges include picking up litter along Lake Hiawatha, the Mississippi River, and composting. Participants will receive $15 an hour.
“On this day on Earth Day, I want to affirm…that we are one,” Erika Schlaeger does Santos of The Family of Trees said during the induction of planting. Her organization works to restore the urban forest canopy in Minneapolis. “We know that the roots all these trees touch each other, they hold hand and are in community together. As above, so also below.”
Project Sweetie Pie urban farmer Michael Chaney spontaneously exclaimed in rhyme: “North Minneapolis will go green. Give us a shout to learn more. Now, where once there was urban blight are lush gardens sites.
The Minneapolis Litter League was loosely modelled after the city of Minneapolis by Billy Menz, a commissioner for the Minneapolis Park Board and Seeds to Harvest, a youth recreation organization. Pittsburgh’sAdult litter picking contest. They also received local inspiration from Mike “Talley”, Seeds Coach, and his Bulldogs, a North Side youth team who spend Saturday mornings clearing storm drains from the rains.
Trent Witz, twelve, and Jeremiah Oates (12), who grew up under Tate helped a team from Youth N’Power tip a tall seedling in a hole on Saturday.
Analyah Schlaeger Dos Santos, YouthN’Power program coordinator, stated that “the fact that we’ve been living in a COVID universe for two years really has exacerbated our need to come together and do something in community.” “People are beginning to realize what a lot communities, and a lot Earth protectors have been telling them for a long while. With everything going on in the world, it’s even more important to do things together.
To register for Litter League, contact Seeds to Harvest founder Brett Buckner at [email protected].
