A Blog about A Plog
PPTC Ploggers - Rachel Harris, Eric Lee, Louise Carbery and Kajal Below
Brooklyn is the new Manhattan, Tiktok is the new Instagram, and Plogging is the new jogging. Plogging is a Swedish term "plocka upp'' which means "to pick up," and jogging hence, Pick Up Litter While Jogging equals plogging. It has become popularized throughout the past few years with environmentally conscious runners who want to help beautify our communities. Plogging shares the joy in not only picking up trash, but finding abandoned items that can be useful to others that ploggers can donate to the appropriate foundations. As shared in the New Yorker, plogging is like searching for an Easter Egg, but instead of chocolate we are looking for trash!
On April 22nd, we celebrated Earth Day 2021. Earth Day is an environmental movement to honor and celebrate our beautiful earth. New York City hosts an abundance of environmental beauty, however New Yorkers are often distracted through the absolute hustle and bustle of city living. Despite the horrors the global pandemic created, it has slowed down many people’s lifestyles, especially New Yorkers. Commuting is down and since people have been staying home, people have been able to be outside and experience more of New York’s nature in their own neighborhood. New York City is a city of wonder with some of New York City’s greatest attractions being their parks, beaches and buildings! Spring in New York is magic with the temperature rising, cherry blossoms blooming, and people lollygagging about excited for more warm days and summer to come. This year spring is brighter and more hopeful than ever with the COVID-19 vaccination becoming more readily available.
On Monday April 26th, the day of the Supermoon, a group of PPTC runners met at the W. 8th Subway station at 7 pm to complete an Earth Day Plog. We had to reschedule the Sunday Morning Plog due to the inclement weather. However, the turnout was grand and we filled many garbage bins, helping clean up one of New York’s greatest beaches - Coney Island. The Pink Supermoon sunset on the beach was enchanting as we picked up litter and cleaned the environment. Due to the storm the previous day, there was not as much trash as there normally is, but we had a wonderful time helping where we could and gazing at the sunset and Pink Supermoon! According to NASA, “a Supermoon refers to either a new or full Moon that occurs when the Moon is within 90% of perigee, its closest approach to Earth.” Although it was hundreds of thousands of miles away, it felt as though the moon was at our footsteps as we plogged through Coney Island.
The plogging community is a group of people who consistently work to keep our community clean and beautiful for all. Unfortunately, a day before Earth Day on April 21st 2021, Prospect Park faced an act of vandalism in which “garbage receptacles throughout the park were overturned, with garbage strewn throughout Brooklyn's Backyard” according to the Prospect Park Alliance. Despite the challenge of the destruction, the community of PPTC works together to productively find solutions to any devastating act. The PPTC email chain was a powerful and positive means to come together as one to clean up the park we consistently run in, the place many of us call home. Parks and beaches in New York City are public spaces for all to use and we want to ensure that every person has the opportunity to enjoy all public spaces.
As Henri Mattise said, “there are always flowers for those who want to see them.” Finishing a long work day after a long work week it is easy to dismiss the loveliness of the place we call home. We are often bogged down with work, deadlines, plans and the typical rituals of mundane life. Earth Day is a commemoration of all the beautiful things in the world and a reminder to go see them. The world is full of wonder, within each place and community. Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on the Earth’s beauty and share our gratitude for our incredible environment. I am especially grateful to have the opportunity to plog with the PPTC community to honor and celebrate Earth Day during the Super Pink Moon.
🌍🌎🌏Happy Earth Day!🌍🌎🌏
PPTC is a diverse and supportive team. We want to celebrate the diversity of our club and membership. We welcome and encourage everyone to share their stories with us.
Text by: Rachel Harris (she/her)
Photos: Rachel Harris
Edited by: Linda S. Chan (she/her), Rachael DePalma (she/her)
Produced by: Linda S. Chan