Columbus residents now have a new ally in the fight against water pollution at Cooper Creek Park, where the first floating trash trap wetland in North America was just installed.
🌊 Why It Matters: This innovative system will catch trash before it flows downstream into the Chattahoochee River, keeping local waterways cleaner for everyone who enjoys them. The floating wetland also creates a natural habitat that improves water quality and supports local wildlife.
🌱 What’s Happening: The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper partnered with Australian company Atlan Stormwater to install the floating device, which serves as both a trash trap and a home for 27 different native plant species.
🌿 Green Details: The wetland features native plants including Swamp Milkweed, Blue Eryngo, and Scarlet Hibiscus. These plants will help filter pollutants from the water while creating a mini-ecosystem in Cooper Creek.
🔬 Research Impact: Students from Columbus State University will study the long-term effects of the wetland on Cooper Creek’s health, providing valuable data on how these systems can protect our waterways.
🤝 Community Support: The project came together thanks to support from Arcadis North America and Nemophily Natives, who provided the plants. The Atlan team traveled all the way from Queensland, Australia to help install the system.
⚠️ Visitor Note: While the public is welcome to view the new installation at Cooper Creek Park, visitors are asked not to touch the device to ensure it works properly.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
