The University of California, Riverside (UCR) is one of the most beautiful college campuses in Southern California. I love walking around campus to my classes and seeing all of the beautiful desert plants like cacti, succulents and the tall palm trees. Taking in the beauty of our campus helps calm my nerves when my anxiety is high because of the stresses of college.
One part of campus that I love and always makes me feel better is the grass field near Kim Wilcox Drive and Aberdeen Drive. When walking through this area, it feels peaceful looking at the citrus and pine trees providing shade. Listening to music while admiring the beauty always feels very peaceful, especially after a particularly stressful day.
I also love the UCR Botanical Gardens as it is a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of campus. In the gardens, there are so many different flowers like roses, tulips, sunflowers and Native American plants. It is amazing how UCR has a dedicated place on campus for a collection of plants to visit.
However, over the past few months, I have seen a growing issue of trash being thrown all over UCR. What bothers me the most about this is how often I see litter that was clearly intentionally thrown in bushes, grass and in other plants. For example, the other day, when I was walking on campus, I saw a squirrel chewing on a Habit Burger & Grill cup found in the grass. This was deeply upsetting, as we have other animals like donkeys and raccoons that visit our campus. The fact that they are eating trash we have left is harmful and completely neglectful on our part.
We need to appreciate the beauty of UCR and find solutions to ensure it is as clean as possible. Students are lucky to be in a college where there is so much nature around and we are taking it for granted by choosing to litter and acting carelessly with our trash. Studies demonstrate the importance of nature at college campuses, as studying and spending time outdoors can improve mental health and increase productivity. According to Science Direct, school campuses that have more nature can also improve academic scores, further supporting student success.
When I need to study for a final or do some homework, instead of going to my dorm room, I take the opportunity to appreciate UCR for its true beauty by working outside. It makes me feel more productive and less distracted because when I work in my dorm, I feel trapped inside and isolated. However, going outside, looking at the greenery and feeling the sunshine makes me feel calm and focused.
Beyond the mental health benefits, we also need to take better care of our campus for the environment itself. When people litter on campus, they are degrading the environment and lowering biodiversity. Whether throwing trash in the bushes or overfilling the trash cans, this litter blocks sunlight from entering plants’ leaves. This means that plants around campus won’t be able to stay healthy if we keep littering in the plants.
There are many ways to keep our campus as clean as possible. One of them is getting involved in environmental clubs at UCR. Recently, I participated in a campus clean-up through the “UCR Green Campus Action Plan,” which is an organization on campus that hosts environmental clean-ups at UCR and hosts educational events to keep the environment clean. When I cleaned up trash on campus with them, it was very fulfilling and opened my eyes about how important this issue is.
UCR should also place more trash cans and recycling bins on campus. Oftentimes, I see trash cans overflowing with cans, bottles and bags being stacked on top of them. If we place more trash cans and recycling bins on campus, this may prevent trash from overflowing and falling onto the ground.
UCR is a special campus with a beautiful environment that should be appreciated more. If students and faculty take the steps necessary to keep it as clean as possible, we can take in all of the campus’s benefits.
