FSHS student body, city, county join forces in trash cleanup

After their lunch on Friday, every Fort Scott High School student is leaving school. But don't worry, it's for good cause.

As part of a clean earth celebration they call Ecology Day, FSHS and all 635 of its students will scatter around Fort Scott and parts of Bourbon Count,y picking up any trash they find on the ground.

FSHS Principal Bob Beckham said Ecology Day began at the high school around eight years ago as a "service learning project" by then-principal Danny Brown. He said the purpose of the trash-collecting activities is not only to help clean up the city, but also to teach the students responsibility.

"Here at the high school, we're here to help teach these students the important things they need to know, so they can move on to have a successful life," Beckham said, "and part of that is civic responsibility. So it's a natural fit for us and gives us the chance to practice what we preach."

Beckham said that starting at around 12:10 p.m. on Friday, about half of the student body will ride a bus out to various locations throughout the city. He said the other half of the students will be within walking distance of their designated areas. Each of the approximately Seminar teachers will supervise about 40 separate groups of students during the effort, Beckham said.

All of the trash that is picked up by the students will be bagged and placed in specific spots in the designated areas. City and county public works employees will pick up the trash, Bourbon County Clerk Joanne Long said. Long said the bags of trash will all be transported to Bourbon County Transfer Station northeast of town.

Beckham said he appreciates the help the city and county workers have offered over the years the high school has been doing the project.

"We just think it's so great that the city and county get involved with this," Beckham said. "I really can't say just how appreciative we are of their help."

Beckham said that when the Ecology Day activities are through, there shouldn't be a piece of trash to be seen throughout the area.

"By the time we're done," he said, "we would probably have canvassed the entire city of Fort Scott and even other parts of Bourbon County."