Earth Day Stewardship with Hampton College Ambassadors

On April 22nd of 2025, Brownies Outdoors came together for a great cause: cleaning Hampton University’s waterfront in celebration of Earth Day. This event was supported by numerous organizations on campus, including Floral Impact, Garden of Eden, Pirates Pantry, and The Bereavement Service Program. Students armed with gloves, garbage bags, and purpose collected litter and debris from the water and the surrounding land.

The main goal of this outing was to give back to the community while protecting our marine environments. What started as community service quickly turned into a competition, with a prize on the line! Whoever collected the most garbage was awarded a Hydro Flask, and to our surprise, the winning haul included a full cooler. Many participants were shocked by what they found, especially items that had clearly been sitting in the ecosystem for months or even years. Cleanups like this are crucial not only for the environment but also for our own mental health. There’s something incredibly grounding about stepping away from screens, rolling up your sleeves, and making a visible impact on the world around you. For many students, this was a much-needed moment of clarity, mindfulness, and reconnection with nature and with each other.

After the final bags were tied, the group headed to the student center to celebrate! Their music filled the room, lemonade and cotton candy were flowing, and everyone gathered with smiles, enjoying the feeling of a job well done. There seemed to be a shared feeling of togetherness, pride in our campus, and pride in taking active steps to better our environment. Hampton has always had a strong sense of community, and this Earth Day event reminded us of the power we hold when we come together. Cleaning up the waterfront was just one small step—but with every bottle, wrapper, or cooler we removed, we made a difference.