The students and volunteers who attended SBEarth’s clean-up trip arrived at Branch Brook Park early in the morning, starting the day off with a great start. Our group strolled around the premises of the park, walking along rivers and beneath the shadows of trees. This gem, located in Newark, houses 5,300 cherry blossom trees with several varieties of flowers blooming throughout the area. When the wind breezes through, the petals of pink, white, and red flutter around to cling onto anything they find, whether that be the ground or the hair of someone passing by. The laughter of children can be found in any corner of this part, and so can lovers who enjoy their time hand in hand. Picnics are popular, and so, we volunteers did the same. Lying underneath hundreds of cherry blossoms, we rested, ate snacks, and some of us even ran over to the song that would play over and over as we got closer to the ice cream truck calling our names. Still, nothing would beat the actual service in keeping this park clean and preserved for the following years to come. The sbEarth club will continue to encourage others to join them on this journey of making a difference, whether it starts from the East Coast at the largest cherry blossom park in the U.S, or even at your own local park!
~Csilla Mathe
