Earth Day Clean Up Still Underway In Utica

Utica, NY (WIBX) - Although Earth Day was celebrated last week, cleanup efforts are still underway to mark the occasion. About 150 students and their teachers from the Adult Learning Center of the Utica City School District are visiting four different parks throughout the city today, for an Earth Day cleanup project.

ESLTeacher, Chris Sunderlin says, the students are from many different parts of the world who relocated to the area as refugees, many escaping political and religious persecution. He says they understand the purpose of Earth Day. "We explained to them what Earth Day was and that it's a nationwide effort to help make our communities look better and hopefully when they pass by it on their day-to-day activities, they'll know that they helped out here and they'll feel a little more attached to our city," Sunderlin said.

The group, along with their teachers, will pick up litter and other debris, rake leaves and sweep the nearby sidewalks at Rutger Park, Stueben Park, The Nurses Park, and Copernicus Park. Organizers say, the event will end with a Barbeque at the Adult Learning Center.