Student organization helps with litter-prevention around campus, city
Tucked behind San Jacinto Boulevard, near the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and residential halls, long-rooted bald cypress trees and million-year-old limestone engulf water.
This source of water, known as the Waller Creek Watershed, stretches six miles long and flows into Austin’s main watersource, the Colorado River.
However, hundreds of pounds of litter have drained into the water, whether that is from people illegally dropping things into the water or through storm drains, putting the natural beauty of the creek at risk.
To promote restoration of the creek, environmental communications students in the Moody College of Communication created Longhorns Don’t Litter, a class focused on the Waller Creek litter-prevention campaign. This fall, in addition to the class, the students established Longhorns Don’t Litter as an official student organization at the University of Texas at Austin. Led by Professor Valerie Salinas-Davis, who has built her career in advertising, public relations and environmental communications, the group’s main goal is to prevent litter and other forms of pollution from running into Waller Creek.
With tree coverage and sunlight filtering through the leaves throughout the day, the area around Waller Creek makes a perfect study spot or a peaceful place for Longhorns to explore nature. But only half of UT students know about Waller Creek, according to the Longhorns Don’t Litter website. With $24,000 in funding from the Green Fund, the organization is working to change that, using PR and traditional advertising techniques to spread awareness and encourage the community to appreciate the creek.
“If we're gonna get students to be aware that litter is a problem that affects our beautiful habitat on campus, we need to elevate awareness that Waller Creek exists,” Salinas-Davis said. “[We must] educate [students] that litter runs off campus and right into Waller Creek, and ultimately into Lady Bird Lake.”
Through social media, a newsletter and tabling, the program educates students about how litter impacts UT’s campus. Additionally, they hold events such as Waller Creek cleanups, sometimes partnering with organizations such as the Campus Environmental Center.
Last year’s cleanup took two hours. During the event, volunteers picked up everything from plastic bottles and newspapers, to shoes and an inflatable unicorn float. About 20 volunteers, consisting of students from the advertising class and people from the UT community, collected 105 pounds of trash just from one section along the creek.
“Just think about one tiny wrapper of trash—that doesn't weigh very much,” Sophie Snapp, a member of Longhorns Don’t Litter, said. “But picking up enough of those wrappers to get a total of 105 pounds can help give an idea of just how much litter is in the creek.”
Another initiative of the campaign involves putting labels on storm drains around UT. Zoey Kaul, sustainability studies junior and president of Longhorns Don’t Litter, was involved in this project. Kaul said the storm drain labels initially said, “No dumping, drains to creek,” with a fish beside it. Now the labels are more specific, saying, “Longhorns don't litter, drains to Waller Creek.” The organization plans to label the 162 storm drains on campus.
“We're truly tying the name of that watershed that people may or may not be aware of, and it establishes more of a tangible relationship with students,” Kaul said. “I’m really excited to be able to see that and just know that my design is driving around the streets of Austin.”
Students such as Kaul and Snapp gained insight about advertising and environmental sustainability through this class. Snapp said she enjoys the litter-prevention class because it incorporates the issues she cares about in a different way.
“It's been really rewarding to participate in this class and get the advertising and marketing knowledge and how to best appeal to people who might not have an interest in the environment as much as I do,” Snapp said.
As a part of the PR team for Longhorns Don’t Litter, Snapp is currently working on a long-term plan for the class and club which involves more partnerships with other organizations and establishing the logo for the brand. She hopes to see the club grow past the class and get the community more involved.
“It's been cool to develop a five-year plan and talk to everyone in the organization, our clients (and) other stakeholders in the community and get an idea of what they want, what their needs are, what our goals are, for expanding into a club in the future,” Snapp said.
Members also hope to see UT students learn more about Waller Creek and find an appreciation for its resources.
“Our philosophy is that the more we can get people to experience Waller Creek, be outdoors and enjoy our green spaces, the more receptive they'll be to our litter prevention message,” Salinas-Davis said.
Graphic by Behr Rinke