Red and white bobbers hanging from trees. Plastic worm containers wedged between rocks. Pepsi bottles floating in shallow water and half-burned beer cans littering fire rings.

We are just past the height of the fishing season in Maine and a walk or paddle along some of the area’s prime fishing rivers, streams and lakes shows it.

Fishermen seem to bring a lot of paraphernalia with them, and that’s fine. But they should take the stuff with them when they go.

Without doubt, many of Maine’s fishermen are sensitive to the environment. For most, fishing is about more than simply catching fish; it is also an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Maine’s forests and waters.

As with any human activity, though, a small minority of irresponsible people seem oblivious to the rule common to all outdoor activities: If you pack it in, you should pack it out.

Of course, education is part of the solution. Parents who teach their children about the outdoors must also teach them sensitivity to preserving our environment.

Until, however, we find ourselves in a perfect world, there is something else we can all do to keep our streams, rivers and lakes clean.

When you go fishing or paddling, make it a point to bring back some piece of junk or trash you find along the way.

You’ll get a great feeling from doing so, plus you won’t have to look at the same can, bottle or chunk of plastic foam the next time you visit.


Exotic trappings
For most of us, the only thing more baffling about the appearance of monkey pox in the Midwest was learning that some people keep rats from Africa as pets.

What? Aren’t American rats any fun?

Indeed, a quick Web search turns up hundreds of articles about the care and feeding of Gambian rats.

The search also turns up hundreds of articles about the recent outbreak in Indiana. There a batch of African rats in a pet shop transferred the monkey pox virus to prairie dogs, which then transferred the disease to some very surprised Hoosiers.

People keep pets for various reasons, most of them altruistic. But the lure of exotic pets baffles and frustrates animal experts.

Some speculate that people desire odd or unique pets for the same reasons they collect anything odd or unusual: As a way of attracting attention to themselves. The guy sitting in the city park with a python around his neck enjoys the stares and comments of passersby.

According to the SPCA, however, people who obtain exotic pets to boost their own self-image or attract attention usually tire of their pets quickly. Then the animals are too often neglected or abused.

There are dozens of reasons to avoid buying exotic pets, and most center on ecology, the environment or animal welfare.

Add to that list the possibility that an exotic pet may bring you a very exotic disease.


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