BILLINGS — When two colleges compete, you expect to hear a little trash-talking.
But Friday along Hogan’s Creek in Billings, students weren’t just talking trash. They were competing to pick it up.
Watch the full video below:
The Yellowstone River Research Center organized an urban creek cleanup project, where students from Montana State University-Billings and Rocky Mountain College teamed up to remove waste and tires from the creek.
“It's a great way for students to realize the benefit of community service. In our research center at Rocky, that's a very important component, is instilling stewardship,” Yellowstone River Research Director Kayhan Ostovar said.
Hogan’s Creek was chosen for the cleanup due to the wildlife that lives in and around the creek, which is also surrounded by roads and urban development.
Tires contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to wildlife, and Friday alone, student volunteers pulled approximately 50 tires from the streambed.
While the event was a competition between the two schools, that wasn’t the primary focus.
Cody Dayley, a process plant technology instructor at MSU Billings, found the benefits in participating in these cleanups.
“I mean, get your hands dirty for one, but also just being a part of the community, even if that doesn’t mean a social event. This is us being really good neighbors,” says Dayley.
In addition to tires, plastic grocery store bags were also picked up throughout the creek.
