If We All Pitch In, It’s A Very Small Job
What does volunteering mean to you? For Jean Wakely, a Northfield resident and Rotary Club member, volunteering is more than just serving in “official” positions, logging hours, or earning awards– it’s about doing her part to help her community. Every week, Jean helps keep her neighborhood clean by maintaining the catch basins that she has adopted through Northfield’s Adopt A Catch Basin program. Each catch basin, designed to prevent leaves, trash, and other debris from going down the drain and into our rivers, takes just a few minutes to clean.
Jean Wakely (left) and Steve Fredrickson (right) in front of Marketplace at 416.
Jean first got involved when she noticed trash behind her apartment. As she started cleaning the catch basin more regularly, she often saw her neighbors, Steve and Carol Fredrickson, picking up trash. The Fredricksons run Marketplace at 416 and work to keep their storefront clean.
For Steve, Carol, and Jean, picking up trash is just part of living in the neighborhood. Together, they keep an eye on the drains lining Grastvedt Lane from Domino's Pizza on 4th Street to Ameriprise Financial on 5th Street. Jean explains, “This is how we keep our block looking nice.” When she learned that Northfield offered an Adopt a Catch Basin program, she signed up to document her efforts.
Adopting a catch basin is straightforward. Hamline University’s Adopt A Storm Drain program outlines four simple steps.
Sign up.
While you don’t have to make it official to do your part, signing up keeps you accountable and helps the city track its efforts. Visit Northfield’s interactive map to see which catch basins are available for adoption. You can even give your catch basin a name that will be posted on the city’s website for all to see. Make it a family activity and involve kids in choosing a name to get them invested.
Keep your drain clear.
What are the responsibilities of adopting a catch basin? As Jean puts it, “Just bend over, and pick it up!” Catch basins will need the most attention in the fall when trees drop their leaves. Bring tools like a rake or broom and bags for trash and yard waste. To stay safe, wear gloves and brightly colored reflective clothing.
Track your impact.
Some Adopt-a-Drain programs ask residents to measure and report the amount of debris they collect. Even if this is not a requirement for your city’s program, counting the number of trash bags you collect can help you see the results of your efforts.
Lead by example.
Tell your friends and neighbors! Jean passes brochures for Northfield’s Adopt A Catch Basin program out at community events she attends. So far, she has recruited over 20 Rotary Club members to keep their catch basins clean.
Jean’s youngest recruit is her grandson. Adopting a catch basin is a great way to teach kids about the importance of volunteering. Picking up trash clearly illustrates the connection between our actions and their impact on the environment– and kids notice. As Jean puts it, “Kids do not like trash.”
Adults don’t like trash, either. Adopting a catch basin not only protects our lakes and rivers from litter and harmful pollutants, it keeps our streets looking presentable. “That's one reason why people like to be downtown and in our park system is because we keep it so clean,” Jean explains. “If we all pitch in, it’s a very small job.”
