Accounting Group
CMST &230 Small Group Communication, Green River College
Group Members: Jasmin Sullivan, Tyron Ebuenga, Jamaal Kearse, Nour Al-Toblany, Aaron Sufi, Fatema Metwally, Baker Thomas
Trash buildup has been increasing massively in parks and no one has been doing anything about it. As a group, we decided to take initiative in helping better our Auburn community by cleaning up a local park in Auburn. We decided to clean up Auburndale Park because the trash, and especially plastics in the trash, cause significant harm to the soil and biological beings in the environment and do not degrade over time. This park is a significant park in the Auburn community as it’s a place where many of the locals bring their kids and dogs to play and spend some time there, for that it was essential for us to take the responsibility of cleaning up this park.
As human societies developed, and as we brought technologies and prosperity to our lives, if ignored the hidden cost which pays for all these luxuries, the nature. Until recently there was no recognition of the damage which we collectively have imposed on nature. Our group wants to acknowledge the fact that human activities have consequences for nature. Yet conversely, we are proud to say that we can undo these consequences. It is not possible for one person to end the Environmental issues, but one person can do enough, so his vicinity is an example of what it means to live Eco-friendly. We sought to do as such, by finding what we can do in our community.
The Small Win should be a complex task that requires more than 1 person to accomplish (a basic definition of the purpose of a group), that it can be accomplished within the timeline of 4 weeks, and that involves all members of the group in the Small Wins solution. In addition, it needs to be consistent with the college’s guidelines for the safety and security of our students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were a few solution suggestions that we came up with to address the problem we identified. One of those suggestions is to clean up a beach (such as Alki or Redondo). Another suggestion was to clean up a trail by Green River College. We also considered volunteering for a community service project with an organization. Lastly, we discussed cleaning up trash and other unwanted debris at a local park.
The group evaluated the pros and cons of each solution. This resulted in the elimination of some solutions. For example, the group would’ve most likely needed to obtain a permit to clean up the beach. All of our solution suggestions met the criteria set, but the challenge was in communicating to decide on something that works with all the members’ schedules as well as transportation availability. After using the majority rule, we decided on cleaning up a local park.
The group has decided to clean a park as a small win project. The group discussed the plan and utilized the Five W’s (Who, What, Where, When, and Why). Upon answering questions and brainstorming ideas, we came to the finalization of the plan for this project and set a date to when to carry out the plan. When the day of the execution of our plan, we came across a problem that has shifted our plan. Some group members raised concerns about the weather interfering with our project. The group discussed this problem and decided to move the meeting to another day, two days later than the original day of the meet-up. On the new date to meet up, everybody showed up at the right location and brought the respected items that they needed to bring. Everybody in the group showed enthusiasm for cleaning up the park, picking up every trash that we could find, and even showing determination to get trash from places that were hard to reach.
Overall, our groups project was a resounding success. The seven of us made an effective sweep of the Auburndale Park and were able to remove multiple trash bags worth of cigarette butts, roman candles, plastic straws and a plethora of other nasty pollutants that were violating the natural wetland area of the park. Our group was highly successful in accomplishing the goal we set out to achieve. Every member was communicative and group harmony was high, to the point where we were easily able to overcome any obstacles that lay ahead of us. Whether that was scheduling conflicts or aiding each other in the cleanup process of the park, the group was highly effective at tackling any task that needed to be accomplished. This was exemplified by the successful beautification of the Auburndale Park and greater Auburn area, and by our maintained commitment to meeting deadlines internally, and externally, set.
Palmer, J., & Sunil, H. (2021). Ecotoxicity of microplastic pollutants to marine organisms: A systematic review. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 232(5) doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05155-7
Liu, L., Liu, H., Wan, G, & Zhang, S. (2015). The occurrence and ecological risk assessment of phthalate esters (PAEs) in urban aquatic environments of China. Ecotoxicology, 24(5), 967-984. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10646-015-1446-4