I spent a few hours this morning climbing through bushes and trees along the canal of Belle Isle, as part of their Annual Keep Belle Isle Beautiful event. Retrieving nearly ten pounds of plastic, glass, styrofoam and clothing out of the waterways and natural habitats was a very humbling experience. It helped me to really understand microplastics, and why they are such an issue to our environment and food systems.
Plastic and styrofoam become brittle after being exposed to extreme temps and easily break into even smaller pieces. Eventually, these particles become too small to be filtered out, and are eaten by animals. The concentration of plastics moves its way up the food chain.
My biggest frustration was how many pieces of chipped plastic fencing I found in the grass. The baseball fields were near the area I was assigned, and the chain-linked fence must have had the plastic woven through at some time. These plastics when fragmented and sun-bleached look a lot like leaves if you aren’t looking closely. But unlike the natural mulch of last autumn’s shed, these pieces will continue to crumble and eventually wash into the canal which leads to greater water systems.
I also found a lot of broken bottles along the canal’s banks. As a dog owner and bare-foot walker, I really hate the idea of someone running into all these bottle pieces. Common sense, of course, is not that common. Please always pack out your waste, wherever you may be!
There were plenty of large groups volunteering today, but I personally enjoyed my purposeful walk through the woods alone. This activity is great to do anytime you’re with nature or taking a walk outside, but there I have some recommendations for first timers!
In the springtime, or anytime near water, you should definitely wear waterproof hiking boots and close-fitting, stretchy clothing. You’ll probably get snagged and stuck in plenty of weird places, and the last thing you need is a soggy shoe. Long pants and high socks can also prevent ticks and scratches. The event organizers were kind enough to provide protective disposable gloves at the check-in, but a gardening or work glove works fine too. Grabber sticks are also available at most home improvement stores so you don’t even need to touch the trash.
Larger, heavy duty trash bags offer some spill control should you drop your bag or need to set it down, and you are prepared for larger finds. However, for shorter hikes or a trip around the block, repurposing a grocery bag would be just fine. Better yet, when you’re walking and see a plastic bag stuck in a bush, why not pick it up and use it for your trash hunt!
These little changes to the way we live and spend our days can have a ripple effect.
What ways are you helping leave the world better than you found it?