Students and faculty joined in the effort to reduce litter at the annual “Keep ULM Beautiful” beautification event, working diligently throughout the week to beautify campus. Participants got their hands dirty in honor of “Love the Boot” week by picking up trash across the bayou, parks and campus walkways. 
Every April, the “Keep Louisiana Beautiful” organization hosts a week-long campaign to motivate Louisiana residents to sustain their state’s beauty through cleanups, tree plantings and anti-litter efforts. Organizations and universities statewide collaborate to improve Louisiana’s cleanliness for a better future.
ULM called for volunteers to participate in the campus cleanup initiative from Monday to Thursday. Assistant Director of Residential Life and Keep ULM Beautiful University Affiliate Coordinator Andrew Hardee encouraged students to participate in “Love the Boot” week and contribute to maintaining a clean campus environment daily.
“‘Loving the Boot’ happens once a year, but loving and keeping ULM beautiful can happen all year round,” Hardee said. “I hope that students, faculty, staff, and community members learn to take pride in our gem of a campus here on Bayou Desiard. If you happen to have some trash or see some tumbling in the wind, find the nearest receptacle and ensure that the trash goes in the bin.”
Some environmental science classes required biology students to participate in an ecological activity during the semester. Many students, including senior biology major Kylie LeBas, took part in “Keep ULM Beautiful.”
“To me, ‘Love the Boot’ means being proud of and caring for Louisiana,” LeBas said. “I want to keep ULM beautiful so that everyone can see what our school has to offer.”
The litter varied from small plastic pieces and wrappers to larger items such as plastic bags, bottles and cups floating in the bayou. According to the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, 92% of Louisiana citizens believe litter is a problem, and 68% support more litter enforcement. Despite the statistics, “Keep Louisiana Beautiful” affiliates removed 743 tons of litter throughout their 2022-2023 impact. Susan Russell, the “Keep Louisiana Beautiful” executive director, explained the necessity of student involvement in keeping up with litter.
“It’s important for everyone in Louisiana, college students included, to take pride in their communities by cleaning up and preventing litter,” Russell said. “Litter removal during ‘Love the Boot Week’ is important, but prevention is the ultimate goal. Litter prevention through education, accountability, and awareness are all critical components to solving our litter problem. We must shift attitudes, behaviors, and a culture that accepts litter as the norm.”
Senior biology major Jacob White volunteered with a group of friends on Thursday to collect litter. He decided to work with “Keep Louisiana Beautiful” after taking an environmental science class. While taking this class, White realized the devastating effects an unclean environment has on humans.
“We wanted to make a difference, even if it was a small event at our own campus,” White said. “We’re blessed to live in Louisiana, and our job is to not only just live here but to responsibly take care and look after the things we use.”
As a university affiliate of the “Keep Louisiana Beautiful” organization, ULM can continue to lead the way in green campus initiatives and motivate students to make a positive change. Those eager to get involved in keeping our campus clean can sign up for next year’s “Keep ULM Beautiful” cleanup and take responsibility by picking up litter year-round.