Cultural Happenings: Earth Day

This Earth Day, Orlando exchange visitors came together for a special mission: an evening trash pickup at Lake Ivanhoe, partnering with the dedicated team from Keep Orlando Beautiful. As the sunlight shimmered on the water, volunteers rallied to protect a cherished urban lake and set an example of community stewardship.

As the heat began to dissipate in the evening, exchange visitors equipped with gloves, reusable bags, and vests assembled at Lake Ivanhoe’s shore. Keep Orlando Beautiful organizers kicked off the event with a briefing on safety, recycling tips, and a reminder that even small efforts can lead to big changes for our environment.

Community volunteers fanned out along the lake walkways and filled bags with litter—plastic bottles, wrappers, cans, and discarded fishing gear—helping to protect both local wildlife and water quality.

Exchange visitors capped off the cleanup with a lakeside photo, beaming with pride at the difference they made in just a few hours, and a cup of handcrafted ice cream from Central Florida’s Kelly’s Ice Cream shop.

What meant most to me was working alongside local community members to clean up the lake’s shoreline. Joining local volunteers at the lake helped me understand how Americans embrace civic duty and community service.

Ron Ellis Torres

Disclosure: This blog post was written with support from AI technology.