Litter hurts

To the editor:

As I take my evening walk, I often make an effort to pick up the litter as I go. Recently there has been so much that I’ve begun carrying a bag with me. There is litter in the gutters, our yards, the trees, on the path, in the air and in the creek. Recently, I walked less than half of a mile before my trash bag was completely full! Does anyone else see this as a concern?

There are two truths about litter. The first is that litter looks bad. It negatively impacts the image of a place especially for visitors. The second is that litter attracts litter. It sends out a message that people do not care for the environment and that it is acceptable to litter.

Both are intolerable to me as a parent, teacher and member of this community. Instead of getting mad I’ve made the choice to work with the children I teach daily and my family and friends to motivate them to clean up the litter. How will this manifest into action? I’m not sure yet. But I know that it will make a difference in their lives and the lives of everyone living here.

Lastly, I implore all of you to take the time to stop and collect some litter. Take it home with you or find a trash can to put it in. Imagine how beautiful our community will be. So get out there and pick it up!