By Eason Franklin
The Lowndes Signal

At a recent Earth Day celebration, members from various organizations discussed the possibility of a recycling center being placed in Lowndes County.

The Lowndes Citizens United for Action (LCUFA) held the event at the Holy Ground Playground Pavilion to commemorate its 5th annual Earth Day event.

Residents of Lowndes County and officials from various organizations attended the public event with the mindset of keeping the earth clean.

During the event, people learned the importance of keeping waterways, highways and communities clean of trash as representatives from Auntie Litter Inc. of Birmingham passed out “litter bags” for citizens to collect trash and dispose of properly.

Lowndes County Extension Service Coordinator Katanga Mants also gave an educational presentation on the length of time it can take for certain objects placed in a landfill to decay.

Entitled “How Long it Will Last”, the presentation gave examples of the biodegradability of leather shoes, metal and tin cans, plastics and other items commonly used by people.

“We want to make sure that these things do not ever make it to landfills,” said Mants. “Out goal is to try and support educational community events within the area.”

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is the primary outreach organization for the land-grant mission of Alabama A&M University and Auburn University.

It offers research-based educational programs enabling people to improve their quality of life and economic well-being.

Among those organizations sponsoring the event were LEGACY, the Alabama River Alliance, LCUFA, Winn Dixie, Publix, WildLaw, the Black Belt Community Foundation, the Lowndes County Extension Service and volunteer fire departments from Braggs and Mosses.

Children and guests were treated to food cooked by the Mosses Volunteer Fire Department and gift bags filled with calendars, pens, pamphlets and other items to educate and encourage people to recycle and reuse common items.

John Allen Williams of the US Army Corp of Engineers provided children with coloring books, crayons and information about water safety wihle sisters from the Catholic Center came out to help in the celebration.

Some who attended the event got the opportunity to embark on a 15-minute canoe ride into Autauga County along the Alabama River to elaborate on the importance of keeping waterways free of trash.

“God blessed us with such a beautiful day to hold the celebration,” said LCUFA President Debra Harris. “We were glad to see a wonderful turnout for an informative and educational opportunity.”

LCUFA is currently hosting Project Clean-up, where members and volunteers clean up their “Adopt-A-Mile” on Highway 21 north of Hayneville.

People can call Debra Harris at 334-613-7891, email kiky@bellsouth.net or visit the LCUFA website at www.lcufa.com.