"Taking an Army to Change the World" - A student's reflection

Hagerstown Community College Student, Lucas Young volunteered during the campus’ Earth Day Event in April 2025, helping weed and replant the bioretention swales. Lucas looks back on his experience volunteering with ACWA.

Today’s event involved caring for the bioswales in parking lot O on Hagerstown Community College Campus. Bioswales, which I believed to just be stormwater drains, are more than just that. They are a natural system instead of human made concrete stormwater drains that act in the same way, however, they are made of natural resources that create a better system for the environment. Being natural, these systems require more care to remain highly functional.

HCC Student volunteers help remove old jute prior to weeding and replanting the bioswales

During the cleanup, I was surprised by the amount of people that came together to clean up the bioswales. I couldn’t even imagine being a solo individual taking on this task alone. This opened my mind to why the world around us uses shortcuts in the way of using manmade products to create the same effect, to lighten the workload on individuals. However, the comradery I witnessed today was an incredible change of pace. Bringing out the best in people, wishing to make a difference with physical labor and hard work. Events like this not only help the environment but they also increase the overall community bond, leading to a much better world to live in.

This HCC Bioretention Swale replanting project was funded by a 2024 Chesapeake Bay Trust Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) Grant. Partners include ACWA, Hagerstown Community College, and the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council.