Post by mudboy on Oct 7, 2010 8:57:28 GMT -5
We have all seen it, maybe have even done it in our previous years. LITTER!!!! It makes our trails look like the allys of Camden (minus the needles). Everything from Beer cans to Mcdonalds waste to thongs and latex items. (If you start to think about it it may make you giggle: Mcdonalds, then beer, the thongs, then latex items ;D sort of makes you wonder if teens have to work at stuff as hard as we did). But anyways back on topic, you see it down any trail and more towards places people exit the forest. It's unfortunately something we have a slim chance in hell on eliminating, however something we can probably lower the amount of. Think about it. Mcdonalds trash is just pure ignorance, people don't want trash in their vehicle and see the window of their vehicle to be the nearest trash depository, so we will probably alwaays see some of that. Next is the beer cans/bottles. People are always going to drink in the woods, it may be illegal but it's something that can't be stopped. Empty containers make for some very hefty consequences if you get caught. People throw their emptys out the window. This I see can be lowered substantially by 55 gallon drums placed in strategic locations (exits of thewoods). Going back in the 80s there used to be drums placed in different locations but no one maintained them. they over flowed got knocked over and even one got thrown into the stream behind my parents house. I highly believe that if drums were to be placed and chained to a permannent structure, bagged and maintained we would see a lower amount of litter. I would have no problem bagging these and taking out the full bags and bringing them to a central dumpster location (maybe atsion?) To kee them from filling with water i would drill a 3/4" hole in the bottom and drive a peice of re-bar through them into the ground this would keep them from getting knocked over. I would even consider making a small backboard so stuff could bethrown and not missed. I know of a few key locations where this would help. I will list them in the next post. I plan on starting to keep the trails on the western side of 206 in pretty clean condition after the clean up on the 24th of this month. Obviously dumping locations I couldn't do to much for without help from others. But I could at least log the location for the next cleanup or for wharton to bring in a backhoe and dumptruck. . Now there are other things such as logs and branches that get dumped including old bushes. most people wouldn't see these as being harmful but fact is they could contain invasive non native species of bugs. Logs could be brought to campgrounds such as Goshen Pond or Batona and people will use them for firewood since most fallen wood has already been scrounched. I need to know your thoughts and if you would be willing to maintain a section of Wharton, do you have any areas where you could see a drum being useful?