Students in Jenny Watt’s Beaty-Warren Middle School environmental issues class brought extra clothes and creek-appropriate shoes to school on Wednesday.

During seventh period, they went outside, grabbed gloves and buckets and waded right in.

“This is an elective class,” Watt said. “We’re studying environmental issues – Pennsylvania centered.”

Students retrieved numerous small items – bottles (glass and plastic), cans, fast food containers, and that sort of thing. But there were also a few larger, and more interesting, items.

Beaty-Warren Middle School environmental issues students (from left) Lara Pearson, Alexis Sharp, and Sophia Mangione, return to shore with the back of a chair and other assorted garbage Wednesday during a clean-up event at Conewango Creek.

There was a disassembled, but otherwise apparently in good shape, bicycle in the weeds under the bridge.

Lucas Gardner went deep into the overgrowth of the island and came out with a traffic cone and a tire.

Jared Arrington found a fishing pole in good condition. Later, a baseball was found on the bank in the same area.

Lara Pearson returned from a trip to the downstream end of the island with the back of a plastic Adirondack chair.

Watt found a pair of athletic shoes – size 12.

Student Lucas Gardner carries a tire to shore Wednesday during a clean-up event at Conewango Creek.

Smilynn Gorka and Jacob Carpenter were in charge of bagging operations on shore. Carpenter said the traffic cone and fishing pole were the most interesting items uncovered during the effort.

The water level in the creek was low enough to make the outing safe and students were able to walk from shore out to the island beneath the Third Avenue bridge with little difficulty.

“We were looking for a day of under 3-foot gage height and less than 300 cubic feet per second discharge,” Watt said.

While the students enjoyed the outing, some were disappointed.“Disgusting,” Karson Werner said. “I can’t believe how much is in here. I thought there’d be less.”

He was happy to be part of the effort to help out and found seven individual items during the class. “At least someone’s actually cleaning it out now… making it better,” he said.

Student Cole Fitzgerald pulls some garbage out of Conewango Creek Wednesday during a clean-up event.

“I am trying to make it an annual thing,” Watt said. She hopes next year’s environmental class can be joined by the students who participated this year to help make it bigger.

Student Smilynn Gorka holds the garbage bag while classmate Jacob Carpenter deposits a plastic bottle Wednesday during a clean-up event at Conewango Creek.