Track Trash, make a difference with the South Dakota Discovery Center


The South Dakota Discovery Center invites you to become a citizen scientist and to contribute to a global solution. Track plastic pollution by downloading and using the National Geographic Marine Debris Tracker app on your smartphone. Then map where you collect litter in your community.

Even if you live far away from the ocean, the information you record will be an important piece of the puzzle. “Scientists can use information about the litter collected on land,” says South Dakota Discovery Center Special Projects Director Anne Lewis, “and this helps them better understand the problem of water pollution caused by trash being washed into our rivers, lakes, streams, and finally, into the ocean.”

When going out to collect trash and gather data, remember to practice safety measures. Wear a mask and gloves and be sure to thoroughly wash your hands when done. Lewis also suggests sanitizing your phone, as well as being aware of your surroundings, especially when working near roadways.

“Litter is often unrecognizable by the time it gets into the river,” says Lewis. “Plastic will disintegrate into small pieces so it’s hard to tell what it is or where it might have come from, and fixing the problem of pollution is hard if you don’t know what’s causing it.”

There is a distinction between disintegration (what happens to plastic) and biodegrading. Disintegration means it breaks apart into smaller pieces, but never truly goes away, while biodegrade means return to elements found in nature. Lewis points out that much of our trash is not natural. “Plastic is not found in nature,” says Lewis. “Its disintegration leads to huge problems for our water systems.”

Lewis hopes that when people track trash they become more aware how much is out there. “I tracked 83 items in a quarter mile stretch. Three weeks later, I came back to the same area and tracked 94 items.” Lewis says. When picking up trash, Lewis follows all the safety precautions, and carries extra bags to pick up things that are particularly “icky.” “There are some things I don’t even want to pick up with my gloves,” she said, “but, I do, because I want to contribute to the solution.”

The South Dakota Discovery Center is dedicated to empowering all Peoples of the Great Plains through hands-on experiences that inspire scientific thinking. Find out more by visiting sd-discovery.org and following facebook.com/southdakotadiscoverycenter. More information about the Debris Tracker app can be found at debristracker.org.

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