Young Paris family turns trash into treasure — and challenges community ahead of Earth Day

Preston, 9, and August, 7, show off the bags of garbage they collected during an Easter Monday cleanup along the Race Street greenspace in Paris, turning a littered area into a source of pride for their family and neighbourhood ahead of Earth Day.

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

What started as a simple walk past a litter-strewn greenspace has turned into a powerful reminder that small actions can spark big change.

For Becky and Tyler and their two sons, Preston, 9, and August, 7, the stretch of land along Race Street near the water treatment plant was hard to ignore.

“We walk past that stretch all the time. I look at that garbage all the time,” Becky said. “And now when we drive by or walk by it, it will be clean.”

Armed with gloves and garbage pickers, the family set out on Easter Monday to tackle the mess head-on. What they found was more than just discarded trash, it was an opportunity to teach their children about environmental stewardship.

Becky, who says she was raised to “pick up, clean up and respect nature,” admits the boys were unsure at first.

“But within seconds they were energized to do it,” she said.

What began as hesitation quickly turned into enthusiasm. The boys approached the cleanup like a treasure hunt, imagining the debris as relics from an abandoned home, a game that made the work feel like an adventure rather than a chore.

And as the garbage disappeared, something else emerged.

“I don’t think I would have ever seen the flowers before among all the trash,” Becky said.

Now, every time the family passes by, there’s a sense of pride, not just in the cleaner space, but in what they accomplished together. Neighbours have taken notice too, offering words of encouragement and appreciation.

The family is no stranger to giving back to the environment. They regularly take part in tree planting events, reinforcing the importance of caring for the natural world.

With Earth Day around the corner, the family hopes their story will inspire others across Paris to take similar action in their own neighbourhoods.

“I love Paris and the community I live in,” Becky said. “I think we need to take care of it better.”

They’re even issuing a friendly challenge: pick a spot, grab some gloves, and make a difference - whether it’s a park, a roadside, or a trail you pass every day.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one family to turn trash into something worth celebrating.

Think you can top it?

As Earth Day approaches, residents are encouraged to organize their own cleanups and share the results. Send in your photos of community cleanups, big or small, and help showcase the pride people have in keeping Paris beautiful.

Who knows, you might just inspire the next family to take the first step.