With adult assistance, Cub Scout Pack 9022 picks up trash around Mill Creek Park’s Lily Pond during the Mill Creek MetroParks 43rd annual Earth Day cleanup Saturday.

YOUNGSTOWN — The 43rd Annual Mill Creek MetroParks cleanup on Saturday may have aligned with Earth Day events, but its participants would have picked up litter on any day of the week.

Their appreciation is based on its 5,000-plus acres of recreational opportunities that include hiking, biking, boating, fishing, golf, tennis, volleyball, picnicking, cross country skiing, sledding and much more.

“We love doing this,” said Betsy Philips, an eight-year Scoutmaster of Troop 9055’s first female scouting group in Youngstown. “I’ve lived here for about 20 years. So, it’s our way of giving back to the community for future generations. It’s just a wonderful place to be.”

Chris Philips, Scoutmaster of Troop 8055, which has been around nearly 97 years, added, “We’re one of the last Youngstown troops left. So, we come down here. It’s the closest thing for us, being inner-city troopers.”

Betsy mentioned bringing the Cub Scouts hiking and to the Lily Pond. On Saturday, the troop picked up trash around the Bears Den Upper and Lower Area.

Cub Scout Packs usually consist of youths ages 5 to 11, while Scouts BSA (Boy Scouts of America) troops run from ages 10-18.

“The significance of the Earth Day cleanup was started by fellow scouter Mike Kupec in order to follow the nationwide Earth Day awareness,” said Kurt Hilderbrand, Mill Creek MetroParks Earth Day Cleanup Chairman for the Boy Scouts. “Scouting America uses this as a service back to the community. We chose the Saturday closest to Earth Day, which was April 22.”

When volunteers picked up supplies at the Wick Recreation Area, Hilderbrand gave out patches to honor Kupec, who served as chairman from 1983 to 2022 and died in 2023.

Hilderbrand mentioned that, prior to Saturday, 10 scouting units signed up for Mill Creek MetroPark locations throughout the county.

“Some units clean up local parks in their community on a scout meeting night. Troop 44 out of Poland will clean up the Poland Municipal Forest, Struthers Unit 101 will clean up Yellow Creek Park. Troop 25 Girls unit will clean up Collier Preserve on Western Reserve Road and Boys Unit 25 will clean up Golf Drive.”

While much of the work was done by BSA and Pack members, Mahoning Valley residents volunteered as well.

“I love this park, and I want to help keep it clean. We have a small group that generally walks every weekend on the hike and bike trail lately because of the weather. In the summer, we like to go out to some of the other trails,” David Rudawsky of Poland said.

Over the past 42 years, more than 13,700 participants have volunteered more than 51,000 hours to clean the MetroParks. In the past 21 years, more than 23,150 bags of trash and 1,550 bags of recyclables, along with numerous loose items such as tires, toys, furniture, pipes, wood crates, electronic items, and even a kitchen sink, have been removed.

Hilderbrand has noticed that with each passing year, there are fewer bags of trash, yet more bags of recyclables.

Besides making the MetroParks look better, the event also sets up educational moments for the young volunteers.

“By doing the human chain, that’s teaching safety skills and life-saving skills in practice,” said Frank Young, Cubmaster of Pack 55, after his daughter, Georgeanne, and adults linked hands so that she could grab trash at the bottom of the hill near Bears Den Run.

“They don’t realize they’re practicing it. They’re having fun doing it and, hopefully, they never have to use it, but if they do, they know what to do.”

Other than a stint in the military, Young has been involved in scouting since he was 8. His wife, Jody Young, is assistant Cubmaster of Pack 55.

Chris Philips pointed out the positive outcome for the Scouts who take part in the cleanup event. “They get a sense of accomplishment and a sense of pride. They’re helping to keep something nice,” he said.

Betsy Philips added, “It also goes along with the leave no trace principles that we teach them in Scouts where, wherever you go, you leave no trace. It teaches them that, even if you don’t leave a trace, other people might leave a trace, and this is their opportunity to try and help pick up that trace that others have left.”