Children gather around the island to collect litter

Volunteer Beth Champagne supervises Wyatt Bickford (left) and Obie Lopez at the East Ferry cleanup organized by Melrose School to commemorate Earth Day. PHOTO VERONICA BRUNO

Eleven days after the municipal council called on residents to keep the island litter-free, students from the local primary school responded to that plea.

Council members unanimously approved a resolution on April 15 in support of Governor Dan McKee’s pledge for a litter-free Rhode Island. A week later, the governor was on Aquidneck Island for Earth Day to promote his grant program, which gave citizen groups $750 to clean up their neighborhoods.

“Our actions must speak louder than our words,” he said.

On April 26, the actions of Melrose School students spoke loudest.

While the third grade students searched for trash in Mackerel Cove and the fourth grade collected litter at Fort Getty, Leanne Turenne and Faith Ucci took their second class to East Ferry. The excursions took place in honor of Earth Day.

“I’m looking forward to helping the Earth,” said second-grader Maeve Doyle.

“I’m pretty proud that we get to do this,” added classmate Finleigh Buckley.

The second grade classes were greeted by sunny skies and calm waters as they cleaned the shoreline with the Pell Bridge in the background. Two students agreed that clearing the beach of plastic, cigarette butts and fishing tackle would benefit the dogs that roam the surf and the marine animals that live beyond.

“It is bad for the environment if there is waste everywhere,” says Beatrix Cardi. “It can kill animals.”

“We can help animals,” Obie Lopez added. “We can make the environment a better place. I am proud that animals will not die.”

Classmate Henry McDonough, who also said the coast is “a home environment where a lot of animals live,” said keeping local beaches clean is a way to show his appreciation for having these recreational spots in his hometown.

“A lot of people there don’t have a lot of beaches,” he said.

Classmate Everett Arajuo said he enjoyed spending his time collecting trash from the shoreline because he was helping “keep the ocean healthy.”

“And we miss some parts of school,” he joked.

McKee’s director of environmental management, Terry Gray, said these voluntary cleanups are important because litter is a “self-perpetuating problem.”

“The more litter there is in an area, the less guilty people feel about throwing their rubbish out the window of their car,” he says. “By controlling our own behavior, we can keep litter under control.”

According to the local resolution, “Rhode Island is known for its natural beauty, including its pristine beaches, vibrant cities and rural towns,” and people “should be able to live in clean, litter-free, healthy communities.”

“As municipal officials, we are the stewards of this,” the resolution continues. “We must commit to investing in environmental protection and educating residents about its importance and its connection to improving the overall health of our state.”

To reduce the amount of litter in Jamestown, council members said they would “work with our state partners to achieve these goals, such as organizing community cleanups, passing local litter-related ordinances or working to change the community culture around litter .”