Litter Legends

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. For every Hulk there is an Antman. For every Spider Man there is a Howard the Duck. What all superheroes have in common, though, is that they care for others more than themselves and they are actively trying to make the world a better place.

Which brings me to Sunday 23 March and the superheroes I encountered. You see, they did not have funny costumes on. They could not fly, and to my knowledge, none of them shot lasers out their eyes. The superheroes I saw on Sunday though, clearly displayed a care for others and were active in making our world a better place. They did this by picking up litter, piece by piece from the Thames path in front of the school. The superheroes I saw were disguised as normal, every day Harrodians!

The first ever Harrodian Family Litter pick occurred this past Sunday (not to be confused with the wonderful work of the 10s litter pickers in previous years). The origins of the newest form of environmental care can be found in the Lower Prep Eco Club, who were asked to consider how they could make an impact on their world. After researching (which included the sad reality of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch) numerous topics, it became clear that litter was something that needed to be acted upon. So…they acted…heroically!

Pupils and parents met Sunday morning and with pickers and bin bags in hand we took to our task - literally cleaning up the streets. I have to stress with you, litter picking is not glamorous work. It is often thankless work as well, though we were thanked numerous times by passers-by. However, it is not something done for accolades or excitement. We were in amongst the trash: cigarette butts, aluminium cans and candy wrappers and plastic aplenty. However we also cleared out car and bike tires, metal bed frames and strange metal posts.  At times, the odour was unpleasant. At times, the rubbish was unpleasant…but the children persevered. Piece by tiny piece, they picked. Small steps towards a big change.

Driving into work on Monday, I noticed rubbish along the roadside, again. Even with our efforts, in less than 24 hours, the rubbish we had cleared had been replaced by new rubbish. But rather than be discouraged, I think it serves as a celebration because if we had left the rubbish where it was, today’s pile would be even worse. Maybe even more importantly it reminds us of the need to remain vigilant and committed to taking small steps towards a better future.

I have never been prouder being part of the Harrodian community than when I was asked by one of our pupils if ‘we could do this more often?’ That was the lesson learnt. A better tomorrow means taking action today, and everyday thereafter. Something our Harrodian heroes know well!