Little Conservationists Turn Trash Collected From Long Cove Into Art

GUILFORD, CT —Kindergartners at the Community Nursery School have been working all year on taking care of nature. One way they did that was to pick up trash. Long Cove, an important tidal marsh the kids call "Big Marsh," is one of the class’s favorite places to visit and to observe nature.

It's also a place where a lot of debris and trash collects. The "nature Kindergartners" began picking up that trash, helped by their teachers and school staff.

That litter included plastic bags, balloons, pieces of styrofoam, cans, and bottles. But also unexpected garbage: an old buoy, a wooden banister and even a toilet seat.

"They were surprised and upset at the amount of trash in the marsh," educators at the school shared. But collectively came up with an idea of what to do with it.

"The class decided to turn all the marsh trash into art as a way to make something that could be used to educate other people about how much trash was found in just one natural space in Guilford," Community Nursery School staff shared.

"After finding the wooden banister, the idea of what to make became clear. The class drew up a plan and got to work."

They'd create a sculpture and call it "The Guardian of the Marsh."

Now, the school is hosting a "recycled art show," described as "very powerful to see."