Isn’t it fabulous that we live in a place with so much to do outside? We are truly blessed to have had the vision of our community leaders to have created trails, parks, locations to bike, swim, fish, boat and float. We really have beautiful spaces that we can recreate in but also need our time and attention when it comes to litter. I used to serve on the Friends of Crowder’s Mountain board. During those years, I made some great friends and also learned a lot about the inner workings of our state park system, which relies heavily on volunteer service to keep trails maintained and looking good. If you are ever curious about their events, there is a Friends of Crowders Mountain web page and Facebook page.
One of the concerns they brought up to me to share with you is one that well-intentioned hikers often don’t think about: food waste on the trail is as bad as litter. In fact, it is litter. Let’s consider your hike and that you’ve brought along some trail mix and perhaps an apple. In the outdoors industry, there is a principle called “Leave No Trace.”
When I worked for the Schiele Museum, Steve Watts and I used to debate about the principle itself, as Steve the master of primitive tools and aboriginal studies would argue to me: there is always a trace. And, in terms of historical evidence and pre-history, he was correct. Our ancestors left marks on the landscape, and with their stone tools left behind to wash out into creek beds or found while tilling the fields near the river, they left a trace and told a story for future generations to piece together. The idea of our modern civilization though, in protected areas like parks and on trails, should be to attempt to leave the place better than you found it and that means litter in all forms should be packed out with you when you leave. Leave only footprints, take only pictures. And I would add- pick up litter too.
Why leave behind the apple core, pistachio or peanut shells or orange peel? As anyone who has been to an untidy campsite knows, regardless of the “biodegradability” of those items, they don’t decompose overnight. The orange peel is non-native, as are the peanut shells, and will take a long time to weather down as there is no sugary fruit left to attract insects. The apple core may at first be of interest to the ants, but when you are hiking and see an apple core full of ants, it’s not a sign of a “healthy ecosystem”- it is disrespectful of your fellow hikers and shows others what they think of the space: it’s a “dump” to leave garbage there.
No matter what it is composed of, when it comes to our natural areas, anything you bring in with you also needs to leave with you (or placed in a proper trash can). All types of litter, but especially food waste, attracts animals and will eventually endanger them. This is true of throwing your “biodegradable trash” out of the windows on highways or along the road. Wildlife that learns that humans are a food source continue to get more and more bold, unlearning the dangers of humans. Some of the roadkill you see is due to animal migration patterns, especially during mating seasons and most mammals are active at night. But sometimes, animals are close to the road to search out those bits of tasty morsels left by passersby. Some foods are dangerous to animals and could cause them to choke, could swell in their stomachs, or even more alarmingly, the terrible junk foods that barely sustain human bodies are certainly not good for animals that may choose your Cheetos over native berries or acorns that are nutritionally superior and their bodies are designed to digest them.
Keep Gastonia Beautiful hosts Keep America Beautiful litter cleanups throughout the spring and summer - involving 238 volunteers.
As of June 20, those cleanups removed 4,954 pounds amount of litter off the roadways and out of the parks, creeks, and greenways of Gaston County. Amazing work by the volunteers, but also amazingly overwhelming to have so much time and energy being spent on something so basic: Put your trash in a trash can. What can you do? Help volunteer with a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, host a cleanup with the Catawba Riverkeeper, or simply bring some gloves and an extra bag with you on your next hike. It’s called “Pliking” (picking up letter while hiking) and it’s a great way to be a good citizen while keeping yourself healthy. Report litter on the Gaston County website gastongov.com/1209/public-litter-report.
As always, I’m a phone call or email away. What do you think should be done about litter in Gaston County? solidwaste@gastongov.com, 704-922-7729.
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