The downside to work like this is seeing how thoughtless actions make hillsides and river banks unsightly and dangerous. Saturday’s trash haul included plastic cups and nip bottles, straws and takeout containers, and a seemingly infinite number of cigarette butts.
What happens with all this? Plastic cups can last up to 500 years. Glass can be easily recycled, but on a roadside it becomes hazardous for humans and animals, and may never degrade. Cigarette butts leach arsenic and lead into soil, and then into waterways — where they can poison fish.
So our heartfelt thanks to all of those who helped out. After a long year of isolation, it’s a wonderful reminder that communities can come together, and small efforts have real impact. Our hope is that days like this encourage others to step forward and contribute to the community — and to put trash in a receptacle, not toss it out the window.
Sam Boss (chair), Jane Costlow, Tizz Crowley, Amy Dieterich, Rhyanna LaRose, Michelle Melaragno, Auburn Conservation Commission
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.