BW students demonstrate teamwork, community spirit for Earth Day

When the volunteer group Sustainable Berea staged a Coe Lake Park cleanup around Earth Day 2021, dozens of Baldwin Wallace University students pitched in alongside their neighbors.

The city park, which is adjacent to the south end of the BW campus and a popular destination for outdoor recreation, was once the site of the rock quarries that helped to build BW more than 175 years ago.

The Yellow Jacket football team and the women's basketball team provided much of the BW people power for the cleanup effort, fanning out with trash bags all around the park and even hauling up large items from the lake's edge.

Gracious Helping Hands

BW sustainability graduate Erika Coble '16, who organized the event, co-founded Sustainable Berea "to address environmental issues in Berea, take action and make the city a sustainable place to live."

"Sustainable Berea gives a HUGE thanks to the BW football team and women's basketball team for being at the Coe Lake Cleanup on Saturday, April 17 in recognition of Earth Day 2021," Coble said. "We also appreciate the work of Julie Candela for helping to bring the BW student-athletes out to the event."

Candela, who has been serving as a community liaison for BW with a focus on student-athletes, invited the coaches and teams to participate, but other students joined in, too.

"We wouldn't have gotten as much accomplished without their help," Coble added. "It was wonderful having them there with us, and we enjoyed their graciousness!"

Sustainable Berea produced the video below to celebrate the work of all the volunteers.