Photo: Michael McKay | Digital Art: Stephanie Thwaites
A note from publisher Sara Wesche:
Typically, a story like this—about a movement, a mission, and the person or people behind it—is one I’d tell through an interview. But in this case, Alison, founder of Happy People Hike and Keep the Mitten Clean, offered to share it in her own words. We’re all the better for it.
At Midwest Vertical Journal, most of our stories come straight from the people living them. Alison’s passion for protecting the Midwest places we love shows exactly why that matters.
“What I love most about the Midwest is the variety of outdoor landscapes. We have lakes and rivers and beaches and forests, hills and flatlands, and so many different areas to explore that are very accessible to all abilities. The outdoor community here is kind and welcoming and works hard to preserve our community spaces.”
– Alison Glowinski, Co-Founder and Head Happy Hiker of Happy People Hike & Keep the Mitten Clean
One Bag. One Hour. One Community.
How a Simple Clean-Up Movement is Transforming Michigan’s Shared Spaces
Story & Photos By: Alison Glowinski
It’s a beautiful Michigan day.
Sunny, high 70’s, minimal humidity. The kind of day you can open the windows and savor the breeze. Not too hot, not too cold. An ideal day to head to your local park. You pack up the kids who have been driving you nuts, get to the playground, and set them free. You find a comfy bench to watch from and enjoy your coffee. You look down and there’s a dirty diaper. Your son comes running over with a “cool thing” he found, and it’s an old liquor bottle. You head to throw these things away and start noticing there’s trash everywhere. Plastic bottles, small plastic bags of who knows what, confetti, candy wrappers… And you suddenly don’t feel like this is a great spot for your kids to be digging in the dirt or running barefoot. And just like that, your fun, sunny day at the park is cut short.
Unfortunately, this is all too common in our parks, on our beaches, on our trails, and in our rivers. Trash everywhere. And what do most people do about it? Complain. And maybe pick up a water bottle or two. Because there’s no way the small bag of trash a single person picks up in an hour will really make a difference, so why bother?
But is that true?
Could everything on that playground have fit in one bag that you spent one hour picking up?
And would that have then allowed your children and the rest of the community to feel safe enjoying that location?
This is the mission behind Keep the Mitten Clean. We know our hour-long event and 20 bags of trash volunteers pick up isn’t going to reverse climate change. But, we also know that the areas we clean are of the utmost importance to that community. Parks where children are allowed to run free instead of sitting in front of a screen, where friends gather to have difficult conversations, where families meet to celebrate. These outdoor spaces are often the fiber that holds a community together. Keeping them safe and clean matters.
We started these clean-ups four years ago in collaboration with Alliance Beverage and Constellation Brands (Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, etc.). They were looking for a way to make an impact in the local community, and with their support, we were able to put together a really fun clean-up experience. Volunteers were given amazing thank-you gifts and could win raffle prizes, including coolers, kayaks, and bikes. After the cleanup, they offered a family-friendly “happy hour” at a local restaurant, where everyone could chat and get to know one another better.
The clean-ups have grown over the last 4 years into a variety of series that hit West Michigan beaches as well as local parks. We have also expanded into hosting private clean-up events for businesses looking for a team bonding experience that also gives back. We have added a local partner, Eco Plastique, who pulls plastics from the trash we collect, melts it down, and makes usable goods like bracelets and keychains that we then use as our giveaway items.
The most incredible part of it all is seeing the community come together. People who may not interact in their regular lives suddenly have something in common as they pick up trash together. Then, at the happy hour, conversations continue and new friendships are born. It’s also amazing to see the young children come out and hear their parents teaching them the importance of cleaning up after themselves and setting an example for their friends.
We can’t all do everything but we can all do something.
We can’t all do everything but we can all do something. And by making that something fun, people want to come and when they show up for an event and not only have a good time, but feel good about the work they did that trickles into every part of life which then flows to their friends and family which is exactly how we start making an actual difference in our communities.
(Keep the Mitten Clean is an initiative started by Happy People Hike and is in the process of becoming a stand-alone Non-Profit entity.)
Upcoming Events:
- Aug 16: Grand Haven Beach Clean Up
- Sept 13: South Haven Beach Clean Up
- Sept 20: Downtown Grand Rapids Clean Up (during ArtPrize)
View the events section of their website for a complete and updated list of events.
