At top, a child smiles as he prepares to put a piece of litter into a garbage bag held out by an adult during a litter clean-up event. Clean U.P. Marquette, a localized version of the #TrashTag trend online, is a multi-week initiative that kicks off today and encourages area residents to participate in the spring litter-pick up process while sharing it on social media. (U.S. Air Force photo)

MARQUETTE — While the spring thaw reveals driveways, lawns and streets, it also reveals a winter’s worth of litter that has accumulated in snow banks.

To combat this, the multi-week Clean U.P. Marquette initiative is kicking off today and encouraging area residents to take personal ownership and responsibility during the spring litter pick-up process.

“I’m trying to empower people who are already here to just take the responsibility of taking care of their own place, regardless of whose fault it is,” said Cesar Escobar, a Clean U.P. contributor.

The campaign challenges Upper Peninsula residents to pick up litter in their communities and post it on social media through April 27, when a city-wide clean up will be held with the Marquette Beautification and Restoration Committee, Escobar said.

To celebrate the start of the initiative, the Fourth Street Clean U.P. Kickoff event will be held 3 p.m. today near the Superior Dome on Presque Isle Avenue by Jean Kay’s Pasties and the Lion’s Den.

Attendees are encouraged to wear bright colors and bring pick-up supplies such as gloves, trash bags, pickers, and “pooper scoopers,” with them so they can help clean up the area as a team today, organizers said.

Beyond today’s event, participation in the campaign can be as simple as bringing a plastic bag along on your next walk to collect litter you might find along the way, or as involved as organizing a large group clean-up, organizers said.

Clean U.P. Marquette aims to encourage area residents to take action on the litter issue, Escobar said, as keeping the area and its waters clean is a collective responsibility.

With all types of litter, from plastic bottles and cigarette butts, to animal waste and candy bar wrappers, emerging from the melting snow this spring, it’s important for each person to take action, Escobar said.

“Different social groups throughout Marquette have expressed opinions about trash, graffiti and garbage accumulation,” Escobar said. “It’s not about pointing fingers. We all live here. We all should contribute. It isn’t a personal thing. It’s a global thing.”

Clean U.P. Marquette is a localized version of the recent #TrashTag trend online, which encourages people to spend time picking up litter in their communities and share a photo to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using the #TrashTag hashtag with #CleanUP attached, organizers said. Participants are asked to use their specific locations to tag the photos, for example, “CleanUPMQT” or “CleanUPNMU,” organizers said.

“Currently there’s a lot of action on social media that pertain this, and that’s a fire we need to fuel with the garbage we collect,” Escobar said.

Throughout the next few weeks, groups, teams and individuals are encouraged to designate a clean-up area, then post before- and after-photos on social media platforms to help spread greater awareness. Organizers suggest playgrounds, parks, highways, sidewalks and “anywhere there’s litter” as clean-up areas.

Unfortunately, “anywhere there’s litter” also includes beaches and shorelines along Lake Superior, which can accumulate litter from those who use the area, as well as debris that washes in from other areas, organizers said.

“There’s a connection we all have with water. Walking on the beach I’ve seen a lot of plastic lids, caps and bottles. As Yoopers, it’s our responsibility to protect Mother Superior,” Escobar said. “Since I’ve moved here, I’ve visited Lake Superior often. There’s something special about the lake. I think we can forget sometimes about how lucky we are to be in such an amazing place. With how busy life is, I think we can take it for granted.”

The idea stemmed from a conversation between Escobar and Andrew Lorinser about their concern for litter around the city. This led Lorinser to design and post the localized version of the social media campaign, Escobar said, noting Lorinser has been “an integral part in helping facilitate” the initiative.

With the social media aspect of the campaign, Escobar and Lorinser hope to get the younger generation engaged with the local litter pick-up.

“We have a culture of ‘It’s not my problem,'” Escobar said. “The best place to start implementing something in society that’s beneficial is with our youth. We owe it to them.”

Overall, organizers hope the campaign will create a long-lasting impact in the community and empower area residents to make a positive change in their neighborhood, one piece of litter at a time.

For more information about Clean U.P. Marquette, visit andrewmqt. com/cleanup, or the Facebook event page at facebook.com/events/2699262486755592.