Sunday, March 21st, 2021
As the winter snow melts away and the early spring bulbs produce bright flowers, you may notice something else uncovered by the thaw: garbage. All winter long discarded plastic, paper, and other human made materials have accumulated along roadsides, in open spaces, and around our communities. Visitors to our region who come for the natural beauty of the Hudson Valley are met with piles of rubbish! For local economies that rely on tourism dollars, trash on the ground has a negative impact.
While definitely unsightly for visitors and residents alike, there is a greater problem with discarded trash. Here in the Hudson Valley, rain washes a large portion of litter into sewers and streams which connect with our namesake river and then eventually flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Over time, the garbage breaks down into micro plastics and other toxic materials that eventually end up in the bodies of fish and other aquatic creatures. For those of us who love seafood, this toxic material makes its way back to us. There are studies that connect microplastics with human health problems.
The positive news is that we can do something about this problem. Besides trying to consume less disposable packaging, we can easily prevent garbage from ending up in our waterbodies by picking it up and disposing of it properly.
CALL TO ACTION: GO OUT, PICK UP A LARGE GARBAGE BAG OF LITTER, AND PROPERLY DISPOSE OF IT.
As a parent of a young child, I can tell you from experience, this is a great activity to do with friends and the whole family. Some of the benefits include:
- Provides an opportunity to teach children about giving back to the community, and about the problems with littering
- Is an opportunity to provide a benefit to your community
- Can be done safely as a healthy outdoor activity with proper personal protective equipment
- Is a way to socialize in a safe and socially distant way
- Provides some exercise
- Makes spring in your neighborhood even more beautiful
So, if you are wondering what to do one of these upcoming warm weekends, may I suggest you put on a pair of gloves and go for a nice walk with a garbage bag. It will be fun – Happy Spring!
