Today was our first event with Charm City EcoVillage. We arranged to cleanup a reservoir that provides drinking water to the city. I anticipated some more volunteers (after all, I DID send a note to almost all of my facebook friends, and I had texted almost all my contacts in hopes of gaining volunteers), but I am very happy that I had some family and friends come along. We found a trail through the woods along the waters edge and walked along, cleaning up litter as we went. We found some interesting things; bed sheets, abandoned clothes, luau lei's, LOTS of beer bottles... had all been left behind or washed up with the tides.
It's disappointing that people from this area do value and appreciate having this feature in our county- they fight to be able to use the space for recreational purposes- yet still treat it so poorly. It's like they don't know how to be respectful, they don't know how they are supposed to take care of it and they always just think that if they don't throw it in the trash someone else will- that someone being us today and others who regularly participate in trash cleanups. That's rarely the case! When we're not able to go behind others and pick up what they've left behind, their litter would remain that way until an animal comes along and suffers in some way because of it- as they often do.
I don't think I'm wrong in believing that if you enjoy going someplace and being there, then you would keep it the way it was when you came upon it. You're favorite spot wont be as pleasant when you arrive to find empty beer cans and cigarette butts, candy wrappers and soda cups, fishing line and hooks, or broken bottles and Styrofoam!! And the next time you're walking along a park and notice someone's trash that's been left behind, don't put it below you to pick it up and throw it out for them. You're a better person than that.
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