By Timothy Garrett
A new Wild Warner agenda item has been added as part of the plan to keep Warner Park looking as good as it can. The debut of this item started on Sat November 6 2010 when four members of Wild Warner met on a beautiful warm autumn day to search and collect trash in Warner Park.
The hearty four of us met at the shelter near the lagoon. Before heading off to the wilds of Warner it was agreed to separate the trash into things that would be thrown away from that which could be recycled. I also proposed that I would take any aluminum cans found to be turned in for cash with the money going towards Wild Warner.
We set out in a southern direction, over the wooden foot bridge and towards the tennis courts and forested area. We split up into teams of two. Trish and Alex went searching along the banks of the lagoon while Lori and I headed off towards the direction of the tennis courts where we found litter among groves of trees and in the edge of the woods.
Lori pointed out a very large pillow which had been ripped open and the stuffing was coming out and sticking to nearby branches. I removed it and set it down for picking up at a later time since I was born with just two hands and not as a land octopus. (At least in this lifetime anyway. And no, there is no such thing as a “land octopus.” Stay here and keep reading. You don’t need to go to “google.”)
Working our way around the tennis courts and behind the softball fields, Lori and I got separated. Which is fine, since it is just a one person job anyway. Picking up among the trees and bushes I found a smaller pillow that could fit into my trash bag and somewhere else, set way off the beaten path there was an empty five gallon kitty litter bucket. (Not seeing any nearby cats or litter boxes I had to wonder, ‘How the heck did that get back here?’) The rewarding thing about finding this was that it gave me the opportunity to explore other parts of Warner that I would never have done so in the first place. When the vegetation is in full bloom, who really thinks about going off the path and into unknown areas? (Well, besides the person who left behind the empty litter bucket.)
After some time Lori, Trish and I reconnected and went off to another area of the park. Off a small path there was an abandoned mountain bicycle. I took note of that item for a later pick up as well. We reconnected with Alex who came back down from the meadow with an excited report of seeing one of Warner’s popular residents. (I’m so jealous of that lucky fellow!)
Lori pointed out that the majority of what was collected was empty beverage cans and snack bags. She was right. It’s not like we found anything left behind from a seven course gourmet picnic. People probably buy a drink and a snack from one of the nearby stores, wander through Warner and just drop it on the ground as they continue and move onto someplace else.
Post November 6 2010.
I returned to Warner a few days later to pick up the previous big items I saw earlier. The pillow and the bicycle. While searching for the path where the bike was, I ended up on a different path which took me to a small clearing. It was evident that the litter bug had also been here. Since I had some bags I picked up the trash in that area. I continued to pick up whatever I found as I worked my way towards the pillow and even after grabbing it. Included was a pair of tennis shoes that someone had tossed back into some thick bushes.
After picking up cans, trash and the pillow, I then went and got the bicycle. Took it home and stripped off the parts that could be re-used on my own mountain bike.
The cans, as promised earlier, were taken to a metal recycling place where 5 bucks and some change was given to Wild Warner.
Why do people litter? I really don’t know. Maybe it’s because they just don’t care or realize what they are doing. If only someone could have taught them to respect the natural world, there would have been even less to pick up.
We wouldn’t like it if a guest came into our home and just tossed their garbage and empty cans onto the floor. So why do humans do that to the homes of the animals?
All in all I feel real good about the volunteer work that we did. There’s something about doing a good deed that’s rewarding. Especially when it has to do with cleaning nature’s house.
Things you can do:
Take an empty bag with you.
Whenever you go out for a walk or even a bike ride, weather it’s in a natural area or just along the pavement take an empty plastic bag with you and collect litter wherever you see it. Especially if you see it in the gutter. Whatever is in the gutter may end up in the lake.
Teach the children well.
Whenever you have an opportunity, let children and kids know not to litter.
Collect and snip six pack rings.
If you buy or see six pack rings on the ground, be sure to pick it up, take it home and cut each and every ring, even the finger holes, before throwing it away.
Small animals can get their heads stuck in the rings which can be unpleasant and dangerous for them.
Join us on our monthly Warner pick ups.
The plan is to continue the Warner Park Pick Ups when the temperatures get warm and the snow and ice melt away. Most likely they will happen on the first Saturday of every month.
When will the next one be? Check back in and we’ll letchya know.
You can send me an email so that I can be in touch to let you know when we’ll be going out there again.
Timothy Garrett
P.S. The reason why this is showing up now instead of back in Nov. was because my computer crashed and burned. Well, now I have that solved since I just got a new one for Christmas. Now I gotta figure out how to get rid of the old computer and all the hardware. I just can’t take it and leave it somewhere in Warner Park. Or can I? Naw. Maybe I shouldn’t. I’ll leave it on some railroad tracks somewhere instead.
(If anyone is interested in some free computer parts, let me know.
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