Spring clean your community, burn some calories - April 22 is Earth Day

Last year, volunteers who took part in the nonprofit Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup collected 148 million pounds of litter and debris; cleaned up 3,800 miles of hiking, biking and nature trails; and planted 850,000 flowers and bulbs. They also restored wetlands; cleaned parks, roads and playgrounds; recycled cans, paper and batteries; and painted over graffiti. They burned a lot of calories too. Here's how many calories a 150-pound person will expend doing various activities for 30 minutes.

Activity                   Cals. Burned

Clearing out an illegal dumpsite  225
Collecting recyclables            216
Picking up litter                 171
Painting over graffiti            171
Planting trees and flowers        162

Source: The Calorie Council

The Great American Cleanup runs from March through May: for more information, go to kab.org.--S.C.

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