 | Dabney S. Lancaster Community College Biology Professor Stan Willenbring (standing, in truck) shows one of his classes about half of the amount of trash he collected from an approximately 3-square-mile area of the George Washington National Forest land on Waits Mountain, near the Alleghany/Botetourt county line. “Small litter (and some bigger items, like tires) was collected by hand from the off-road areas over a period of about 6 months,” Willenbring told the students. “The resulting piles, along with several large dumps (of construction debris, household trash, animal carcasses and household appliances/furniture) were then removed on foot with a wheelbarrow over a period of 2 weeks.” The result was two full pick-up loads of trash. “All the material was sorted and the plastic/metal/glass/paper/wood were all recycled,” says Willenbring. “Less than a half pick-up load actually went to the dump/trash ....including a toilet. The second load was used to teach the Dabney and Jackson River Governor’s School students about the problems in our National Forests. Students were very receptive of this message ....perhaps the most engaged I've seen them all year.” Also, noted Willenbring, Clifton Tire Co. in Clifton Forge took the old tires at no fee.
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