Published in the May 25, 2016 edition
FOURTH GRADERS Cristina Donovan (left) and Olivia McGrath display the trash they collected after cleaning up the Partridge Island Trail recently. The two friends cleaned up the trail in order to make the area safer for the animals that call the wooded area and Reedy Meadow home. (Courtesy Photo)
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Fourth graders Olivia McGrath and Cristina Donovan’s love of nature and animals inspired the two friends to clean up the Partridge Island Trail recently.
According to Olivia’s father Bob McGrath, 9-year-old Olivia and 10-year-old Cristina decided to clean up the Partridge Island Trail in order to “make the woods safer and cleaner for the animals.”
Olivia said the two friends wanted to clean up the trail in order to “help the animals have a better habitat.”
Cristina agreed.
“We walk there a lot and each time we did, we saw more trash,” said Cristina. “We did not like that. One day we saw an Air Jordan flip–flop and that made us decide to clean the area the next time we came.”
Olivia said the two friends saw a lot of trash when they went to clean up the trail. She said they found “beer cans, other cans, boxes, plastic containers and water bottle caps.”
“We had to lean in toward the water to fish litter out,” Olivia added. “We got gloves, bags, made a giant stick and used a golf club and a toy grabber.”
Cristina said the two girls also found cigarette and cigar wrappers, cigarette lighters, newspapers and cardboard boxes that were mostly beer boxes. She also said they found “McDonald’s food containers, candy wrappers, Gatorade bottles and some drink bottles that were even full and unopened.”
“We picked up trash everywhere,” added Cristina. “We had to lie on our bellies on the deck and reach into the water with my grabber claw. Where the (platform) burned down, we laid out the pieces of wood to get to the trash in the marsh 10–15 feet from the edge. We sometimes had to step into the water.”
Olivia said it took her and her friend two-and-a-half hours to clean up the trail.
When asked what was the most rewarding and enjoyable aspect of cleaning up the Partridge Island Trail, Olivia commented, “looking at the area when we were done and seeing it clean for the animals and people.”
Cristina agreed.
“We cleaned on the way to the path,” said Cristina. “On our way out, we enjoyed seeing it clean. We saw lots of snapping turtles, which are probably much happier now that there isn’t so much trash getting in their way.”
Olivia is currently a fourth grader at Summer Street School. She enjoys playing basketball, field hockey, dancing, theater, gymnastics and jumping on trampolines. She is “an animal lover of all kinds” and has a pet dog, cat and two hermit crabs.
Cristina is also a fourth grader at Summer Street School. She said her favorite activities are playing soccer, chess and art. She is also involved with Destination Imagination and the Girl Scouts. Cristina is an animal lover as well.
“My favorite animal is the penguin,” said Cristina.
Olivia said her takeaway from cleaning up the Partridge Island Trail is “not to litter.”
“A small number of people can make a difference,” said Olivia.
“Too many people smoke and drink at Partridge Island Trail,” said Cristina. “That is a bad thing because they should not be smoking and drinking. It is bad for them. Then they leave their trash there, which is bad for everyone else, so it’s worse. I want to tell people who walk at Partridge Island Trail to please pick up after themselves!”
