Photo by Mike Lamb Southwest Minnesota State University biology professor Dr. Alyssa Anderson removes some garbage in the diversion channel near Highway 59 on Wednesday.

MARSHALL — On Earth Day, Southwest Minnesota State University biology professor Dr. Alyssa Anderson joined about 30 other people picking up garbage along and in the diversion channel that crosses U.S. Highway 59 in Marshall.

“What better day to come out and make a dent,” she said while wading in the channel with her young son, Owen Roberts, holding a garbage bag full of debris.

“I’m kind of surprised how much there actually is to pick up here,” Jackson Bladholm said.

He was walking along the diversion channel with Jackie Gonzalez.

“Plastics not going away anytime soon. Trying to get that first and then honestly anything else we see after that — cans, bottles, insulation,” Bladholm said. “Happy Earth Day.”

“A lot of trash, more than I expected,” Gonzalez said.

The Earth Day cleanup on Wednesday was coordinated by Marshall Noon Rotary Club member Laura Mueller-Anderson.

“Rotary wanted to do a water focused project. Somebody had the idea that maybe the college, the biology folks are doing something already. They (biology department) said they have been wanting to do something for awhile,” Mueller-Anderson said. “The reason it’s a priority for Rotary, we are kind of focusing on water right now and the environment. We have one Earth and we have to take care of it.”

Mueller-Anderson said the diversion channel by Highway 59 was chosen because of the amount of material that blows off from the highway.

“My impression was there would be a lot of clutter here,” she said.

Fellow Rotary member Bill Archbold agreed.

“It was wet. A lot of plastic in there,” he said. “Surprised how much. Some stuff pulled out was just filled with sand and water and heavy.”

“There was plenty of garbage that was being taken care of,” Molly Archbold, also with Rotary, said.