What started out as a senior project for University of Hartford student and East Windsor resident , Chris Spada , has become a full blown community service event for the town of East Windsor . A major clean up was held across the street from East Windsor Park on a recent sunny Saturday morning .

Spada is majoring in Visual Communications at UHA , and his class-work there had a requirement to come up with a senior project with a focus on the community . He created a Web site , t-shirts and marketing materials for “ Keep It Green . ” Only Spada’s project , among his classmates , came alive with the occurrence of an actual event .

About 25 teenagers came out on Saturday , March 28 to clean up town property . This land , which used to be tobacco fields , has been long neglected and has unfortunately become a dumping ground for all kinds of unwanted trash and debris .

Michael Mosher , an Integrated Science teacher at East Windsor High School , brought out the kids with only two day’s notice and felt that he would have no trouble getting even more to come out for the next event on April 4 . “ They really want to do good , ” he said about his students . “ It’s big for them because it’s doable , ” he added .

Several piled up truck-loads were driven out to a waiting dumpster , which was three quarters filled only an hour into the project . Everyone who was there to clean up was clearly excited to be doing something so clearly good for the town .

Christine Schwartz brought out her son to the event to help . She had heard about the event through the local newspapers . “ This is fantastic , ” she said . She is also a strong supporter of creating a dog park on the location . “ People I know won’t bring their dogs here . They are afraid they will step on glass . Just seeing the trash coming out of here – it’s disgusting , ” said Schwartz .

Spada hopes to continue to make a difference . “ I plan on keeping this effort going by maintaining a relationship with the teachers at the school . From the initial support I received from the community , the project has a ton of potential , ” he said . He feels the whole concept is so easy to use , he would like some of the local teens to really take it as their own . “ I would really like to see high school students be able to run the different parts of this project . ” Spada’s eyes are looking around town and seeing other places that need some cleanup . “ There are still quite a few clean up zones that I’d personally like to see addressed , ” he said .

The BMX Skateboard Park has been looking at the land for the location , as well .

What the teens were finding on this property was clearly disquieting to them . Ashley and Krystal found a toilet seat , a window , a vacuum , a TV , two couches and even a trampoline . Another student , Jillian , said , “ It’s really bad , ” about what they were finding in the bramble . But they all agreed it made them feel good to help out . They will be receiving community service hours .

Several hazardous waste items were pulled out of the land too , such as chlorine cans , motor oil and paint cans . “ Is it absolutely disturbing that people think that it’s appropriate to leave that stuff in the forest , ” he said .

More information can be found at www . keepitgreen-ew . org . Spada hopes that his model can be utilized by other local areas to run their own “ keep it green” events . He hopes , ultimately , to pass on the organization in large part to East Windsor high school students who are interested in the environment and their home town .