What We Do
During the summer of 2020, I challenged myself…
To pickup garbage, litter, dog poop and to be 100% aware of the environment around me. The game I played with my dog was simple- If we saw trash, garbage or litter- we had to Pick it up. I quickly discovered this was not a small task. The amount of garbage blowing around rest stops, public parks, trails was appaling.
“I was mesmerized by the places we visited. I was captivated by the hidden history, trail systems and people I encountered between California and Massachusetts. Sadly, I was disgusted with the amount of garbage in rest stops and parks that I visited with my dog as we drove across America. ”
— Ben Pieper
What I learned :
My daughters were not happy when I announced we would be playing this game once per week when we visited local parks.
Its not easy to walk thru a park and not see garbage.
Picking up dog poop in a bag and leaving the bag on the side of the trail is a frequent occurance.
wearing rubber gloves is a good idea
If you carry a garbage bag, chances are, it will get filled up
I had to dedicate time specifically to do this activity otherwise the quest could be consuming and my kids would not want to go to places with me if they believed I would require them to pickup garbage every time we went someplace.
It is always good to be aware of your environment. Some places with heavy litter are often accompanied with interesting characters.
Be safe. Smile. Be prepared. This activity is more fun when more people are involved.