Call it the big dump and grab.

All over the city students from Trent University and Fleming College—finally finished the year of classes, exams and essays—are moving back home or beginning a new life.

For some, this means moving out of Peterborough.

But for others, like Trent University student Daniel Adaszynski, 20, who’s moving into a George St. house because he plans to stay in Peterborough for the summer, the previous tenants left a house full of old furniture.

About 400 high school students and 100 other volunteers will descend upon Peterborough and the surrounding area for a massive litter cleanup project this Earth Day.

So far, six high schools in the city have committed to joining the Super Spring Clean Up, scheduled for April 22.

Buses will transport students to various roadsides in and around the city, where they will collect garbage and recyclables in teams of six.

The event, now in its third year, is the brainchild of Guenther Schubert, a local businessman and chairman of the environment committee for the Kawartha Rotary Club.

Schubert said the cleanup is also an attempt to educate local youth about the value of the environment.

“Anybody who cleans garbage is less likely to make garbage,” he said. “We need to change that whole attitude towards the environment.”

For students at Trent University, there’s a lot to like about spring.

They no longer have to bundle up under coats, scarves and tuques, and they can enjoy their beautiful, spacious campus instead of being cooped up indoors.

Unfortunately, the warmer weather also has some unpleasant side effects.

As the snow melts, left behind are the remnants of the past season—several months worth of litter and garbage.

Megan Sully, a second-year business administration student, said that she really only notices the garbage during winter’s waning weeks.

Trent University is exploring the idea of banning bottled water sales and water coolers on campus after a student association presented student survey results and a petition in support of the initiative.

The university’s administration is asking staff and faculty to fill out a survey before a committee decides whether to recommend the bottled water ban. That survey closes on Friday.

A draft policy could go to the university’s president in May or September, associate vice-president of student services Meri Kim Oliver said.

“It’s something that everyone is interested in in terms of the environmental impact of bottled water and also the social issue of having water available to everyone and not having to pay for it,” she said.

Local residents who want to prove their dedication to environmental causes now have a special incentive to do so.

This month, Peterborough Green-Up is offering prizes to those who pledge an “act of green” as part of the non-profit group’s One Thousand Acts of Green contest.

The local organization is asking the people of Peterborough to register on its website, where they can calculate their personal impact on the environment—their “carbon footprint.”

Those who register will have the opportunity to commit to a simple act, such as turning off the tap while they brush their teeth, to reduce their carbon footprint and decrease their environmental impact.

Do you have a pile of old tires piled up in a back field because you don’t want to pay the tipping fee at the landfill? Well, load them up in your truck.

As of Sept. 1, all municipalities and businesses in Ontario have stopped charging people to dump their old tires. That’s because a new provincial initiative will pay registered collectors between 88 cents and $3.05 for each tire they collect, depending on the size.

Consumers can return up to four passenger car tires at a time to a collection location at no cost and with no obligation to make a purchase.

GRAFTON — This year, in an attempt to lessen some of the ecological impact of this weekend’s Shelter Valley Folk Festival, neither organizers nor vendors will be selling water bottled in plastic.

Free water will be available supplied from bulk containers.

Festival-goers are encouraged to bring their own drinking vessels such as mugs.

Vendors will be permitted to sell drinks in recyclable containers.