Earth Action Hero: It takes a family

Since her children were young, Martha Martinez Aguilar, pictured above, taught them to help keep the community clean by picking up trash whenever they are out for a walk or visiting one of the many parks and lakes in the city.

“Little actions can make a big difference,” Martha shared. “It might not seem like a lot, but it adds up.”

Martha and her husband Leon Lopez have been residents of Bloomington for 15 years. All four of their children, ranging from 16 to 26 years of age, attended Jefferson High School. Her oldest children attended the University of Minnesota. Martha and her family feel a sense of ownership in Bloomington, especially for its natural beauty.

Now that her children are older, it is more challenging to make trash pickup a collective family outing, though they still do so when they can. Mostly now, it is Martha who really enjoys making a difference at both Bush Lake and Normandale Lake. She hopes to engage others in clean up efforts.

“The Latin community is very united here,” Martha said. “I think it would be great if we could organize a community
cleanup together.”