DETROIT (WXYZ) — Henry Ford High School students rolled up their sleeves and grabbed their rakes to clean up Detroit’s O’Hair Park this Earth Day.
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The students cleared paths for hikers and picked up trash, bringing the community and nature closer together.
"I know I don’t work out that much, but this is a workout," Nehemiah Nelson said.
"It took a lot of energy, low-key. A lot of energy. We went from all the way down there, now we’re right here," Jermaine Pittman said.
"It's worth it," Nelson said.
James Ngare, an attendance agent and board member for O’Hair Park, oversees student attendance and said the park requires a clean-up twice a year.
"Earth Day is good for everybody," Ngare said. "Earth Day is the perfect day to come out and do it."
Susan Stellar, an O’Hair Park Association board member, noted the mutual benefits of the effort.
"People are a part of the environment. The students can do community service while helping the community association to keep the park as nice as possible," Stellar said.
Seniors Kierra Byrd and Adriel Moravec worked together to scoop up scraps and trash.
"We got about half a bag picked up right now," Moravec said.
"Cleaning up, connecting with the community and nature again," Byrd said.
"When we focus on the community and the environment together, we can make many things happen," Moravec said.
"I feel like a lot of kids nowadays don’t connect with nature because they’re always on their phones and things like that," Byrd said.
"Doing our part to help the earth is a really big deal," Moravec said.
Students who attend the nearby high school call O’Hair Park their "High School Hub," a place where they go to huddle up and hang out.
"It’s a great community park," Byrd said.
"That’s why they’re willing to give back, because they understand how important it is. The park is the lifeline of this community," Ngare said.
In a few days' time, the park will host the Aspen Challenge, a community-focused event aiming to get kids off their screens and into nature. The Earth Day clean-up gave students a head start on that goal.
"It gives you time to get away, take a deep breath and enjoy what the Earth gives us," Ngare said.
"Everything depends on the natural environment in the world," Stellar said.
"Around Detroit, especially... We need healing," Byrd said.
The group celebrated the successful clean-up with a unified message.
"Happy Earth Day!" the group said.
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