What happens when a little boy gets a very big idea? A small part of the world is transformed in a major way.
When Walker Lane’s parents asked how he wanted to celebrate his fourth birthday, he responded without hesitation: “Let’s do a Trash Bash!”
Walker has spent a lot of time outdoors at Fort Worth’s Clearfork area. His family enjoys taking walks and runs, biking, fishing and just hanging out in nature. You can find them at Clearfork often. A lot of times, they will stop to pick up trash they see along the way.
An idea taking shape
Last semester, Walker and his siblings were studying the rivers of Texas, the water cycle and how rivers work, leading him to the birthday Trash Bash idea. He wanted to start with a dinosaur party and then head out to the Clearfork Trailhead of the Trinity River with some of his friends and family.
“Clearfork is incredibly special to our family. Over time our kids have developed a real sense of ownership and pride in keeping it clean. Together, our family has picked up more than 50 pounds of trash in that area,” Tae Lane, Walker’s mom, wrote to Tarrant Regional Water District when requesting to schedule the event.
“For his birthday, Walker has asked that we spend some time doing what he loves most,” she said, “helping take care of the river. It will just be a small group of us, but we believe every piece of trash picked up makes a difference.”
A day of fun and purpose
In all, 22 people participated: 13 kids and nine adults. Friends, family members and kids from Walker’s neighborhood joined in, as well as some out-of-town relatives who came in for the event. The group spent about 1.5 hours and picked up about 80 lbs. of trash.
“The other kids hadn’t done a trash pickup before, and they loved it,” said Walker’s dad, Hunter Lane.
“They found the usual items like cups, paper, bottles and such, and also some very unexpected things. Someone found an iron, and someone else found a giant trash can lid. It turned into a fun treasure hunt of who could zero in on the most unusual piece of trash,” Hunter said.
Along the way, the group also encountered turtles, fish, fossils and other wildlife that live in the river and along the banks. Afterward, they celebrated with small prizes for the most trash collected (one boy collected nine lbs. on his own and found four turtles!), most unusual and weirdest.
To make things even more special, Clearfork-area City Councilman Michael Crain, who had heard about the birthday plan, stopped by to thank everyone for their efforts and present Walker with a special “Molly the Fort Worth Longhorn” pin.
TRWD provided the day’s supplies, including gloves, bags, a trash grabber, sunscreen, bug spray and after-sun lotion.
Activities like this, Hunter noted, help teach kids that hard work doesn’t always have to feel hard and provides them with visible results that feel so rewarding.
“We had some pretty tired kids at the end of the day, but they were so satisfied,” he said. “We could actually see the difference when we all looked down the river.”
Join a TRWD Trash Bash or create your own
In addition to joining community Trash Bash parties in the spring and fall, people can schedule their own event like Walker’s friends and family. Cleanup is an ongoing, year-round effort, and everyone can help. For more information, visit TRWD Trash Bash Challenge.
