Picking Up Trash

Wandering a trail, and remembering its value

Several days ago, I took a walk. See, our campus here at St. Bonaventure, we have access to a trail alongside the Alleghany River. We’re so lucky to have it. 

I soaked in the brief instant of fresh spring air we were allowed by the world we keep wronging. I listen to the sounds, the frogs, the bugs, the wind, the river see how, and the birdsong, watching for the winged flashes of color and seeing how many I can name. A finch, a dove, a cardinal, a blue jay, a chickadee, the ducks, the geese—once I saw a heron standing tall by the remains of an old rail bridge. 

There’s a spot I like to sit at and watch the river from. I take it all in, listen, breathe, get lost in nature…but then I look down and see cigarette butts and cans littering the edge of the shore. I’ve walked this trail many times and have always felt my heart grow heavy and a sense of frustration come over me. 

I’ve previously gone and picked up as much litter as my two mere hands can carry, I always see more and have to walk the trail back to the trailhead to throw it away. I’ve vowed time and time again to go there with a trash bag and makeshift gloves to clean up, and this time I finally did it by myself. I walked the trail and went slightly beyond the Bonaventure loop; I even set my bags and denim jacket on a bench as I dodged plants and carefully climbed down some of the rocks by the shore to collect around three energy drink cans that I saw. There was a fourth, but it was too far for me to feel safe trying to grab. I can only go so far. Years of hopping on rocks by rivers and lakes during camping trips taught me how close to the river is too close. Especially when there’s as much of a drop that there is from the trail to the Allegheny River, and the sad state it is in because of pollution.  

I think one of the strangest things I experienced when I did this was the reactions of other people. For some reason, every time I passed my peers on the trail (countless times), they looked at me like I was insane or offered a (nervous seeming) passing smile. Really? I once even saw someone smirk at the sight of me as if me trying to take care of nature (that takes so much care of us) was laughable. 

There were three older folks who passed by and thanked me for cleaning up the trail. Thanks? It’s nice and all but… The truth is, I wasn’t doing this for thanks. I was doing this for action. I want to keep such a lovely place clean and safe; I wanted to see if one person could inspire more people to try and pitch in. I mused to myself one time: “Wouldn’t it be great if every person who walks this trail to clean up at least one piece of litter?” A ripple effect I dream of, like ducks landing on the water. A ripple that resonates and spreads until nature thanks us back. We cannot take it for granted—the world around us is not a dumping ground for beer cans, wrappers and whatnot…it’s a living thing that we couldn’t exist without, something we are a part of.  

• Action
• appreciate nature
• enviornment
• forest
• nature