Trash is a near-constant along the Sycamore Greenway, particularly in the areas near existing neighborhoods, where stray items from overturned recycle and trash bins can easily be carried to the stormwater drains or blown into the basins of the trail. We often schedule trash cleanups around these areas to help keep the trash in check (the north end is long overdue, and thankfully will be a target of the South District's April 21 Team Up to Clean Up volunteer event).
I've always considered the long "spine" of the trail, between Birds in Flight and the Sycamore Apartments, to be relatively clean by comparison, with no garbage cans nearby and far from busy roads. A few bottles tossed by careless pedestrians or cyclists, maybe, or cans deposited near the benches by visitors relaxing maybe a little too much. After finding a few one-liter "Clear American" bottles of flavored water tossed into the brush, I resolved to bring a trash bag next time I was out with my camera so I could pick them up.
Just a few bottles, right? It's not like those trashy basins collecting neighborhood litter. Just a quick pick-up here and there, then back to taking pictures. Well...no.
Many of those bottles visible from the trail were accompanied by two or three others hidden from view by grass or leaves. The camera was quickly abandoned (a lesson in not trying to multitask on the trail...focus on the task at hand, whether it be seeing nature, collecting trash, or getting some exercise!) and the trash bag soon filled.
Which is fine. I don't mind taking care of the trail that gives us so much in return. But this cleanup was particularly frustrating in comparison to the regular pickups on either end of the trail, which can easily yield ten times as many full bags of trash, for one reason: this trash didn't find its way to the trail accidentally, the result of a windy trash day or being blown off the back of a passing vehicle. It was purposely thrown or left there by the very people who are enjoying the benefits of the full length of trail.
I was reminded of a recent article I read about the
Missoula Bag Man, who tirelessly picks up dog deposits from the trail he uses, bagging them and leaving the evidence visible for folks who allow their dogs to do their business along the trail (including the less-than-sympathetic author of the article). The article frames the Bag Man as a bit of a zealot, looking for excuses to shame those not behaving in the way he deems appropriate.
I can't say that I haven't been tempted to do the same, both with bagged dog poo tossed into the brush as well as the bottles and cans, just to make visible the scope of the problem. But the point isn't necessarily to shame the perpetrators. It's to take care of these places that we love. Fixing damage isn't about shaming those who cause the damage; it's about restoring something to the way it is supposed to be.
Whether it's a national park or a neighborhood trail, our open spaces deserve better.
There are a number of upcoming opportunities to help clean up litter around the Sycamore Greenway and elsewhere in our community!
And of course every walk is an opportunity to grab that bottle or can that ended up far from where it belongs.
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