The Franklin Mountains State Park and the It’s Your World Project organization hosted the From Trash to Treasure Workshop to encourage the community to preserve the environment and natural sights of El Paso.

On Saturday, July 8, people joined the workshop, where finding trash to turn it into art was the main focus of the activity.

At the beginning of the workshop after a 20-minute hike to one of the mountain trails, the visitors had the chance to enjoy the view and picked up trash that later on would be transformed into earrings, necklaces and magnets.

“The workshop is mainly to expose people to the friendly environment art through recycling,” said Candice Printz art teacher at El Dorado High School, director of the It’s Your World Project and the person in charge of the workshop.

During the workshop, attendees got to learn about the importance of recycling. They also had the chance to learn about the native plants from the Chihuahua Desert area, the fauna and the history of the park.

“The park used to be an illegal dumpster, and when the state took it over, we cleaned up this beautiful place,” said park ranger Nicole Roque. “At the entrance, there is a fee of $5 dollars, but it all goes to the maintenance of the park.”

According to Roque, the area where the park is located used to be an underwater world, therefore fossil prints can be observed on the rocks that are on the mountain trails.

Other teachers at El Dorado have joined Printz on the project. Social studies teacher Andrew Cowart also takes the duty beyond the workshops. “Cleaning up the environment and using it to create some art is the point of this, as well as teaching my children about recycling and taking care of the environment,” he said.

It’s your World Project is an organization that helps the community of El Paso to maintain the highways, thanks to volunteers and artists who focus on recycling trash to create masterpieces.

A contest took place last April, where artists from Juarez, Alamogordo and Las Cruces showcased their talent and creativity by using materials such as glass, cardboard boxes, plastic and metals to create art.

“We have a problem that is never ending and we need to teach our children that they can really make a difference,” Printz said.