Digital Photograph of Poster
Protect the Pond Prevent the Plastic Recycle the Film Team: Stephen Kuhn and Parker Stewart
Campaign Purpose: Protect the Pond For seven years, we have fished in our neighborhood pond. As Louisiana sportsmen, it is a place important to us because we enjoy fishing and nature. Slowly, the pond and its wildlife are being destroyed by unwanted plastics, trash and other items being blown and dumped into the pond. It is important to us that we help protect the neighborhood pond and its wildlife and is our purpose for this recycling campaign.
Campaign Design: Promoting Prevention and Protection The idea for the campaign started because we were disappointed with the declining condition of our neighborhood pond. We started talking to our parents about how we could help keep the pond clean, make neighbors aware of the problem, and promote recycling of the plastics causing the harm. We passed out fliers, made from the poster design, to neighbors to promote a watch of the pond, recycling, and prevention of plastics in the water. We posted fliers and the poster near the pond and at the entrance of our subdivision encouraging others not to litter the pond, but to recycle. Jefferson Cort Residents, Stephen passes out fliers and while Parker takes pictures. Help us Keep our Pond Clean! Recycle and Remove to Help Protect our Water Quality and Wildlife!
Campaign Discoveries and Challenges: Discoveries It is easy to see from summer to winter how the quality of the pond water has gone down with the large amount of plastic in the water. As the plastic decomposes, the chemicals used to make the plastic are harmful when it gets into the water table. The fish are dying off because of the poisoning of the water habitat. Lilly pads aren t growing and the pond grass is brown and dying which will result in fewer amounts of ducks in the pond. Challenges Convincing people to join me in helping to reduce plastic in our water habitats. Convincing people to gather old plastic bags and bring them to recycling centers. Finding plastic recycle drop off bins in our area.
Campaign Promotes Change The biggest change for us was realizing the immediate need to get the plastics out of the water. After learning about how the plastic chemicals destroy the water habitat, we knew we had to try to find a way to convince others to recycle their plastics instead of throwing them to the waste side.
Campaign Influences Family Friends Community Stephen s grandparents learned of the plastics recycling campaign to help keep our neighborhood pond clean; they asked if we would post our poster or flier near their neighborhood pond to promote the same. (Posting near grandparent s pond) Some of our friends and neighbors volunteered to help us clean the pond, post fliers and go door to door asking neighbors for plastic shopping bags and can holders to recycle. They also said that they will now be more willing to participate in our neighborhood recycling program that is already established. (Plastic bags collected) Our goal of influencing the community will carry on as we continue to promote awareness of how plastic films are damaging our water habitats and wildlife. Those that aren t in our waterways as much as we are, are shocked to see pictures of what these plastics are doing to the wildlife. We hope to be able to continue promoting the need for recycling of plastic films through our neighborhood recycling program.
Campaign Effectiveness The overall effectiveness of this campaign has already changed the thinking of those closest to us. A few of our neighbors have volunteered to help promote this project,and Stephen s grandmother has started cutting her plastic from around her soft drink bottles to place them in a bag for recycling.
Campaign Cash We don t have any immediate plans for the cash prize. We have college savings accounts, so we will probably put the prize money in that account and use it for the future.