Pack It In, Pack It Out

A recent family outing to Heron Haven, a lovely local nature center, left me with a familiar feeling of disappointment. Familiar, and preventable. What should have been an enjoyable afternoon of walking the nature trail, spotting wildlife and taking pictures, was marred by the inconsiderate actions of a few humans. While enjoying the view of the wetlands, we noticed two soft drink bottles in the water. We found another on the trail.

Trash receptacles were provided, but some people chose to litter instead. I don't condone littering for any reason. It spoils the appearance of any locale, contaminates our waterways and breeds germs. I don't understand what makes litterers tick, but I can see how some people might think it is easier to toss trash out a car window or drop it on the ground rather than hold onto it until a trash receptacle becomes available. Again, I understand (kind of), but I don't agree with this reasoning.

However, it truly baffles me that people would go out of their way to visit a nature center, a place that exists to glorify nature, and deliberately spoil it by littering. Sure, one bottle doesn't seem like such a big deal, but when two or three or ten people think that way, it becomes a problem. And someone has to clean up that mess. We retrieved the bottle on the trail and disposed of it before we left, but the other bottles at the far side of the wetlands, in an area inaccessible to visitors (unless we were prepared to swim).

The idea that someone would visit a place that celebrates the wonders of nature, only to ruin its appearance and endanger the habitats, is counterintuitive. The place in question isn't very large; it wouldn't have been difficult to hang onto those bottles until the people left.

It's very hard to teach our children to respect the environment when others are so thoughtless. We try to use such experiences as teaching moments, but such behavior sends a negative message.

Folks, next time you want to enjoy the outdoors, do me a favor. Bring along a backpack, and take out what you bring in. As the hikers say, "Pack it in, pack it out." That way, we can continue to enjoy our outdoors recreation areas for many years to come.