Travel Marquette promotes responsible recreation with Collect Marquette program
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MARQUETTE -- Travel Marquette, the organization which promotes tourism in Marquette County, is running its Collect Marquette program for its second year.
The program aims to encourage people to pack out their garbage while recreating around the county, and to pick up any garbage they happen to find. Participants can get a free Travel Marquette branded trash bag at the organization's storefront on Front Street in Marquette, fill the bag, and exchange the bag for a Collect Marquette branded reusable tote.
"We ended up with about 100 pounds of garbage last year," said Travel Marquette CEO Susan Estler. "And because it seemed to resonate with visitors and residents, we ended up going ahead and continuing it for this year."
Last year, the users of the program were split 50/50 between residents and visitors, including a group of students from a local school.
"A lot of locals, especially, say that they usually pick up trash anyway while they're out walking, so why not?" said Travel Marquette Outreach and Sustainability Manager Anna Solberg.
"Katie (Shimp), our digital marketing director, weighs (the bags) so we can get a total at the end of the summer, and then she takes pictures of them as well," said Solberg. "There's a compilation on our website of all the different trash things from last year, which is cool just to see what kind of things we're picking up and what's out there."
The program runs until Aug. 31, and participants are also entered into a drawing for a $150 gift card to a local business of their choice. Winners will be chosen on Sept. 4.
"There's gonna be trash no matter what, unfortunately," said Solberg. "That's how society works right now. That doesn't mean forever, but for now that's kind of what it is.
"So if we can show locals that tourists care about this place as much as they do, by actively going out and making a positive impact that shows. I think that's probably the greatest benefit of this program."
"These programs aren't just for visitors, they're for residents, too," said Estler. "So it's education for everyone."
More information about Collect Marquette is available at www.travelmarquette.com/things-to-do/tours-and-experiences/collect-marquette/.
Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.