Have you ever stopped to think where that cigarette butt, empty soda can or trash that some people throw out of their vehicles end up? Most of the time it will end up blowing around on the side of the road but with a good, heavy rain the chance of that trash ending up in our waterways is quite high even despite environmental regulations. Trash that ends up in our waterways, whether intentionally or unintentionally, not only ruins the aesthetics of our beautiful waterscapes but also poses a real threat to the various forms of wildlife that inhabit these areas such as fish, snakes, toads, beavers and multiple water fowl.
Common household trash is one of the main sources of trash that fills our lakes and streams. Plastic products such as cups, bags, wrappers, bottles and other plastic containers are especially hazardous to the wildlife often causing slow strangulation or internal damage if swallowed by an animal.
In April, we participated in the Annual Overland Park Stream Clean and picked up trash bag after trash bag of discarded debris and materials along Indian Creek from 103rd Street to 106th Street. Pop and beer cans and bottles, golf balls, clothing, plastic bags, broken CDs were just a few of the items that filled our bags. The Stream Clean Up did not only just involve adults picking up trash. Many children and young adults joined in on the activities and were exposed to the carelessness of individuals as they helped in the clean-up efforts. Lessons were learned by all that day.
As long as there are careless people in this world, there will always be trash that ends up on our roadways and waterways. It is up to us to take care of our environment and our wildlife so that future generations can enjoy them. It cost nothing to volunteer for the Stream Clean Up, just a few hours on a Saturday morning. What it provided for the community and the environment was priceless.
What are you going to do to ensure that our future generations can enjoy the beauty we see today?
On Earth Day, the kids and I donned gloves, trash bags, and our wagon and trekked around our town collecting trash and recyclables. The kids love to figure out how to sort the trash versus the recyclables and eagerly run to collect their finds. We cleaned up our neighborhood sidewalks and streets, a park, a high school, and part of our bike path.
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