Last weekend, our group had the opportunity to volunteer at the Gowanus Canal Conservancy. We worked with Nastasia Sidarta, who we had interviewed before. The volunteering event included tasks such as composting, tree stewardship, and assisting the conservancy with their participation in the Mulchfest program. Mulchfest is a program in which people leave their Christmas trees on the curb and organizations such as the Gowanus Canal Conservancy collect them and ecologically recycle them to be turned into mulch. There were huge machines at the site that were actively recycling the dead trees. Devon, Ethan, Luke, Lauren and I worked to remove leftover ornaments and trash from the collected trees which could contaminate and ruin the mulch. We also labored (and got really muddy) as we transported branches, leaves and compost to different areas by wheel barrow. Although the work was challenging, it was fun to really get our hands dirty and make a physical difference. I am considering asking Nastasia Sidarta, who we worked with, to come and speak to our class about the work that the Conservancy does and what we can all do to help. At the event, it was interesting to meet other volunteers from all over the city. There were also other leaders of the organization present, who we were given a chance to speak and explain our mission to. We worked hard to clean the Gowanus Canal’s watershed and counteract the corporate pollution that has contaminated it. I felt a sense of giving back and of involvement that was very gratifying. Overall, it was a difficult but rewarding and informative day of service!