Photo By Megan Hackett | Spc. Adam Munoz read more read more
Mott Lake is a designated training lake located on the fringe of Fort Bragg
near Raeford, NC. Often used for recreational boating (such as kayaking,
canoeing, etc.) and fishing, the lake is also frequently used for leisure
cookouts. It is one of the few lakes in the Raeford area that locals can
easily launch a small boat, and the numerous lake access points attract
those who want to spend the day on a wading sandy shoreline.
When coronavirus enacted statewide lockdowns, people flocked to the lake;
social distancing and outdoor recreation was possible at Mott Lake. Two of
those were soldiers from the US Army Parachute Team: Sgt. 1st Class Jacob
Kerkow, 68W (Combat Medic) and parachute demonstrator on Gold Demonstration
Team, coupled with Sgt. Adam Munoz, also 68W and parachute demonstrator on
Black Demonstration Team.
Kerkow and Munoz live close by Mott Lake and frequently use it for ventures
such as lakeside hiking with their dogs and stand-up paddle boarding. They
were visiting a few times per week and noticed that the trash was heavily
accumulating along all of the beach access points.
“Instead of people packing out and taking their trash with them, they were
discarding debris wherever they wanted,” said Kerkow.
“The pivotal moment for us,” Kerkow went on, describing his visits with
Munoz, “was viewing the land after a controlled burn was done. Fort Bragg
had conducted a routine controlled burn around the lake to clear the
underbrush. We visited the lake after the burn and there was just so much
trash that remained and survived the burn; it was appalling.”
Kerkow and Munoz realized that with statewide restrictions to social
distance were in place, they would have ample time to devote to bettering a
place that they frequently used.
“We realized that we had a truck and time on our hands,” Kerkow said, “and
we wanted to leave the place better than when we arrived. We were
encouraged to be outdoors and active, and this was a perfect use of our
time.”
Over the course of a few weeks, the pair spent a few hours each visit
devoted entirely to collecting and bagging trash. They wanted to spend nice
days outside and contributing to a greater cause. Kerkow believed that his
service would encourage others to follow suit.
“I thought that if we set the example and others saw a cleaned area, they
would be encouraged to maintain it as well.”
On a few occasions, Kerkow even brought his 13-year-old son to assist with
the project.
“My son was initially annoyed that he had to spend his time cleaning up a
mess that others made. Over the course of a few days, he really grew
excited when he saw the impact that he was making as each beach point went
from littered to clean,” Kerkow said. “My son loved seeing the impacts of
his hard work. I wanted to teach my son the value in leaving a place better
than when you arrived.”
Kerkow and Munoz cleaned up an estimated 12 beach and boat access points.
They visited all possible areas that were accessible by vehicle and would
load the truck bed with full bags of trash on each visit. Each entry point
was several hundred square feet, littered with old bottles, food refuse, and
miscellaneous items that people had discarded after a day of leisure
activities.
They took loads to the local dump after each visit. After a few visits,
they noticed that there was a scale at the dump that they could use to
quantify their impact.
As of their last visit, Kerkow and Munoz had collected over 800 pounds of
trash. “Weighing was an afterthought,” Kerkow explained, “and we were more
curious than anything to see how much we had gathered.”
Kerkow clarified that he isn’t seeking recognition or any accolades, but
that it was his personal duty to be a positive change. “I wanted to lead by
example and do the right thing.”
Kerkow and Munoz have future plans of cleanup, as work schedule allows.
“As long as I keep using the area to play, I want to contribute to the
cleanup,” said Kerkow.
Kerkow and Munoz are members of the United States Army Parachute Team, the
Golden Knights, an elite aerial demonstration and competition team. Located
at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the team travels the world performing events
in support of Army recruiting.
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2020 11:52 |
| Story ID: | 376824 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 143 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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