Meet the 6-year-old South Portland boy who loves picking up trash
Carter Gilson 6, holds a bag of trash he picked up the grounds at the Redbank Community Center Tuesday. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
SOUTH PORTLAND — Six-year-old Carter Gilson darted around the wood-chipped playground, the kind of excited staggering and trotting that only little kids do when their legs won’t carry them as fast as they want to go.
He wasn’t chasing a soccer ball or a friend in a game of tag.
Bright green plastic bag in hand, Gilson was searching for trash, on his own helpful scavenger hunt. He squatted down by the wooden fence and emptied a plastic water bottle before safely tucking it into his bag. He wore too-big scratchy work gloves that made him look a little like Mickey Mouse.
Carter Gilson 6, carries a bag full of trash after cleaning up the area around the playground at Redbank Community Center. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
Picking up trash is Gilson’s favorite activity whenever he visits the Redbank Community Center playground multiple times a week.
When asked why he does it, he said “to help our environment.”
Gilson has always been a sensitive boy who cares about the Earth, said his mother, Nichole Mulrenin. As soon as he could walk and talk, he wanted to be outside. And in his free time, he likes digging in the dirt to search for worms.
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He’s a Cancer zodiac sign, according to his 10-year-old sister Amber, which, to her, explains his sweet nature.
Gilson doesn’t understand why there’s always so much trash on the faded red basketball court and well-loved playground. Counting is the rising first grader’s favorite part of school, but there’s often too much trash to count.
“I think people are throwing trash out of their window,” he said. There’s usually a lot of Circle K cups and boxes, he said. One time, he found a hat.
His family often picks up trash when they visit public parks or walk along main drags like Westbrook Street. Mulrenin works as a housekeeper, so she keeps trash bags and cleaning supplies in the trunk of her car.
Last week, Gilson took the initiative to pick up the trash on his own, all by himself. Since then, he’s filled up more than two bags of trash.
Mulrenin posted a picture of Gilson and his haul in community Facebook groups, hoping that it will inspire others of all ages to pick up trash, too. One community member sent Gilson $10 and a Dairy Queen gift card to reward him for his stewardship.
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On an overcast Tuesday, Gilson filled a bag while his younger sister Aubrey swung on the monkey bars and his older sister rode around in circles in the parking lot on her Razor scooter.
Carter Gilson 6, carries a bag full of trash as he clean up the grounds at the Redbank Community Center. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
“I don’t think there’s any more trash,” he said, displaying his bag to his mother the way some fishermen would show off an impressive catch. “But I can go check.”
He quickly zig-zagged around the playground once more, still carrying his bounty. He said his hand hurt from how heavy it was.
“We’ll be back out tomorrow,” he said. “And the day after that.”
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Tagged: sustainability
Dana Richie is a community reporter covering South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. Originally from Atlanta, she fell in love with the landscape and quirks of coastal New England while completing her undergraduate. More by Dana Richie
