The Trash Warriors 4-H SPIN Club is 6-week digital youth community focused on tackling marine debris and plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Marine debris is anything human-made that can be disposed of and intentionally or unintentionally end up in rivers, streams, Great Lakes and ocean. Items like plastics persist for a long time, and in water they photodegrade breaking into smaller and smaller pieces that can absorb toxins (like DDT and PCBs) and be confused as food by wildlife. According to one study, the United States and Canada dump 22 million pounds of plastic debris into the Great Lakes every year.
This club will explore the issue of marine debris through film, community and research partner presentations, and stewardship activities you can lead from home. Potential topics include microplastics research in the Great Lakes, ways to refuse to single use, reuse challenges including a Trart (Trash Art!) Contest, recycling in your community, trash cleanups, and waste audits.
This club will meet virtually via Zoom (both computer and smart phone accessible) once a week. There will also be opportunities to share experiences and explore content on FlipGrid. Both Zoom Meeting and FlipGrid will be limited to youth who register for the club. Access information including meetings links and passwords will only be sent to event registrants. This club is supported by Michigan Sea Grant, MSU Extension, 4-H STEAM Corps, and partners from the Great Lakes basin.
Online Meeting will be held using the app called Zoom (and the link/password for the meeting will be emailed once you are registered for the club.
April 22, April 29, May 6, May 13, May 20, and May 27
Any youth between the ages of 9 – 14 (or older) should join the Trash Warriors 4-H SPIN Club.
Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. on May 26, 2020.