Program on the Environment

Illegal dumping is a persistent yet often overlooked environmental and public health issue. Unlike regulated landfills, illegal dumpsites lack safeguards and monitoring, leading to soil and groundwater contamination, habitat loss, erosion, and increased fire and disease risk. In Kitsap County, the Adopt a Spot Program helps combat the issue by encouraging residents to clean roadside litter. However, most volunteers are older adults, highlighting a need to engage younger generations. This project aimed to identify strategies to increase youth participation in roadside litter cleanup. To achieve this, I conducted two surveys, one with current Adopt a Spot volunteers to understand what motivates them to volunteer. The other was given to individuals aged 15-25 to explore what barriers prevent them from volunteering and what incentives would encourage them to volunteer more. The youth survey also asked how they prefer to learn about community events. The results found that younger participants are more likely to volunteer when activities are social and can be done with family or friends. Using this data, I planned, organized, and hosted two community cleanup events, promoting them through channels and messaging designed to appeal to younger audiences. The outcome demonstrated increased engagement and awareness among youth participants. The significance of this work lies in strengthening community involvement in environmental stewardship and contributing to long-term environmental protection in Kitsap County.