…actually the clean-up has been in our local parks

Two weeks ago my neighbour, Trish, decided to give herself a 30 day challenge and go out daily (weather permitting) and pick up trash in our parks. When I found out what she was doing I decided to join her on her Day 3. For the last 10 days we’ve been out together, grocery bags in hand, and have been picking up litter from our beautiful parks.

We are very lucky where we live because we are surrounded by parks and parkettes.  So far we’ve tackled six different areas. Some of the parks are so large we’ve had to go back a couple of times and one park is so big that we have enough work for the remainder of the challenge.

Much of the litter is trash that has fallen from people’s pockets and from the garbage cans on collection day and then picked up by the wind. Most of what we find is hidden under shrubs and trees and between the rocks on the shoreline. Unfortunately a lot is the result of people being too lazy to walk a hundred feet to one of the multiple garbage containers set out all over the parks.

We’re finding a lot of plastic bags, take-out containers, coffee cups, pop and beer cans and lots of cigarette butts and disposable lighters. Close to building sites styrofoam is our number one find. Our most unusual finds have been chairs, a bicycle lock and a broken umbrella.

The nice part of doing this is that we’re meeting a lot of the people in our neighbourhood. They are all very appreciative. Some of them have been inspired to do the same thing and take a bag with them on their daily walks.  On my first day one of them called us over and left us each a bag of homemade cookies on the edge of their porch. While doing this of course we’re doing our best to stay 2 metres apart. In the first photo Trish is with her daughter and they live in the same house.

Here are some of the photos taken on Days 1 to 10 for me. Trish just finished day 12. Looks like we may take a break today. It’s pouring rain.