On June 25, 2023, 30 ASEZ volunteers from Columbia University and New York University came together for a cleanup in Highbridge Park. This was in participation of the ASEZ Blue Carbon movement that focuses on keeping waterways clean. In total, the volunteers collected 20 bags of trash.
Highbridge Park, located in Upper Manhattan, sits alongside the Harlem River and covers around 103 acres of forested land. Due to the many visitors and residents in the surrounding area, the park becomes easily littered. Trash, like bottles and cans, eventually make their way into the river and raise pollution concerns. ASEZ members initiated a partnership with NYC Parks to clean up the trash and promote healthy blue carbon systems. To successfully clean the most affected areas, Malcolm Jenkins, the supervisor at Highbridge Park, took the time to guide the volunteers to different sections of the park. While doing so, he expressed much gratitude for their dedicated volunteer work.
Working Together for a Sustainable City
A student visiting from New York University, Abhu Dhabi, said, “I love volunteering and have always been a part of it because it’s good for the community, and it gives me that sense of fulfillment.” She was moved to see the ASEZ volunteers in New York City take charge of conserving the environment and biodiversity.
Rachel Frazer, an ASEZ volunteer and Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University, said, “We are excited to partner with Columbia University and NYC Parks to clean up the waterways in New York. The ASEZ Blue Carbon campaign is an important initiative, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”
ASEZ members in Manhattan will make continuous efforts to protect blue carbon ecosystems and maintain sustainable communities throughout the city.
To view more Church of God volunteer activities in New York, please click here.
16 Responses
I appreciate the efforts of the ASEZ volunteers from Columbia University and New York University for cleaning up Highbridge Park and protecting the blue carbon ecosystems1. It is inspiring to see young people taking action to conserve the environment and biodiversity. I also commend the partnership between ASEZ, NYC Parks, and Columbia University for this initiative. I hope to see more of such activities in the future. Thank you for sharing this article and raising awareness about the importance of keeping our waterways clean.
Awesome Job ASEZ!
It’s refreshing to see young adults doing such good deeds. Thank you for your great example!
It’s really nice seeing college students giving back to the environment despite their busy schedules.
ASEZ students setting the standards for the youth! Thank you for taking care of the environment.
What an inspiring story! Seeing young adults taking the lead in a community cleanup is not only a breath of fresh air for the environment but also a powerful reminder of the positive impact collective action can have on shaping a cleaner, more responsible future. 💪🏼👍🏼
Great job ASEZ! It’s great to see young people making time to help their communities. Congratulations to everyone that participated. Thank you for promoting the importance of healthy blue carbon systems.
I believe this Blue Carbon campaign is a proactive way to advance toward a sustainable world – thanks to all the Church of God students who are working hard to carry this out
I love seeing the youth taking this kind of initiative. ASEZ volunteers are setting a wonderful example that I hope will continue to spread to the surrounding community.
Really awesome to see this type of cleanup! Keep up the great and inspiring work!
Wow I love joining their community service events! So well organized and a lot of fun while having a good time with people serving the community!
Wow great job!! You don’t usually see university students volunteering. It’s great that this group is going out doing good deeds
Great job everyone for always helping to keep our beautiful NYC parks clean!
Where ASEZ appears the world becomes a better place. Great job!
It always puts a smile on my face whenever I see the young people of ASEZ. Keep up the good work, your efforts are truly valuable.
I am so inspired by ASEZ university students carrying out such a campaign for the greater good of our global health. I used to visit this park a lot as a child & seeing the youth take their leisure time during the summer to carry out such a cause is really inspiring. I hope that this can trickle down to others that share the same passion and interests in improving the quality of our environment. I really look forward to joining to a future event.
ASEZ is one of the most active groups out there helping maintain and preserve NYC parks. It makes me really happy to see all these volunteers helping make NYC a cleaner and safer place for its community.