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College students usually look forward to leaving Asheville and traveling to sunny shores during their spring breaks each year. However, this year a group of UNCA students decided to stay in Asheville to help improve the community through daily projects with Asheville GreenWorks through UNCA's Alternative Spring Break. They have been working on varying projects in the community, but focusing on a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. On Monday the group of five swept up College Street counting the number of cigarette butts picked up - accumulating a total of 8,500 between Pritchard Park and the Courthouse. On Tuesday the group hit the streets to take pedestrian surveys on people's attitudes toward cigarette litter in Asheville. Wednesday the group tried their hands at some of Asheville GreenWorks' other community projects. They planted 50 trees in the River District and removed graffiti from Village Antiques in the Biltmore area. Thursday they are researching best practices and what other communities are doing to combat litter. “We thought it would be important to incorporate an academic component to the week so that the students would better understand the issues they have been working on this week,” said Asheville GreenWorks volunteer coordinator Allison McGehee. “We want this program to promote positive change in the community, so that we're not just picking up after people.” The information that has been compiled from the cigarette litter sweep, pedestrian surveys, and research day will be used in a public awareness campaign this spring. About Asheville GreenWorks Asheville GreenWorks, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, is a volunteer-based organization working to achieve a clean and green Asheville and Buncombe County through community organizing, educating and environmental stewardship. For more information, please visit www.ashevillegreenworks.org. (Image provided by Asheville GreenWorks.)
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