It's Been Bagged, Loaded, and Dropped Off
Well, it has officially turned to fall, the leaves are changing colors, the rain has come back and the nights have brought a familiar chill. For us, this means the end of our trash cleanup season. Every year the team gets together once or twice a month from mid to late spring until the rainy season hits. We go out into our local forest lands and put in a little bit of work.
Being avid users of the land, both public and private we find it our responsibility to make sure it is taken care of. A part of that responsibility is cleaning up the trash left behind by people who don't share the same values.
We generally see three types of dumpsites. People probably had minimal means and needed to get rid of their trash but couldn't afford the fee to dump at the transfer station. Those who came out to enjoy the land, camping, shooting, hiking, etc... but didn't pack out what they brought in. But what we see most of is just blatant disrespect for the land. Dumping their trash without any regard for the next unfortunate soul that comes across it.
Most of the trash is just basic types of things, broken electronics, paper products, old clothes, and plastic bottles. Every once in a while though, you run into things that make you either shake your head or turn and puke. Every person on our team has shared both of these experiences to some degree. This comes with the job though and so we just push on and keep going. Usually with the help of some gloves and a face mask.
It's kind of funny sometimes the stories that come from trash cleanup days. Sometimes however it's less funny and more just unreal. You never really know what you are going to get, it could be as simple as picking up some plastic bottles and maybe a bag or two of household items to having LCSO on speed dial while you sit in your truck watching two homeless junkies jump out of the woods behind you clearly looking for the bag of shit you just threw away that they had dropped in there drug-induced stupor the day before.
At the end of the day, it's really about the feeling you get. Even though someone will probably dump trash right where you cleaned up. But for the next little while at least the land is clean. It can be enjoyed by someone experiencing the outdoors for the first time, or a family looking to get away, whatever it may be the feeling is 100% worth the effort. It's something we look forward to every year and we can't wait to get back to work.
