Spring clean up should be a year-round effort

Spring has sprung! We are sure to have what our elders call ‘smelt snows’, but we are now looking forward to ditching our heavy coats, mittens and insulated boots.

In my house the fly rods have been taken out, lines checked and replaced and the lures are ready for action. Soon "Lets go for a walk" will only include appropriate footwear, light jackets and a water bottle.

Most of us have ‘special places’ that we like to walk to or visit. I was somewhat distressed to see that one of my special places was littered with discarded stuff. We pride ourselves on the description of our area as a wilderness or eco-tourism destination yet some of us forget that coffee cups, bottles, paper, household junk which are not naturally occurring have to be removed.

Much of what I observed is the result of carelessness but some of the larger items were not just left there by accident, they were dumped illegally.

I realize that sometimes it is not easy to get rid of unwanted items but there are better options than thoughtlessly dumping your junk in our remote areas. This type of disposal diminishes quality of life for our neighbours and fiends. There is also a very real potential that illegal dumping can pollute local waterways or groundwater, and cause significant harm to our wildlife.

Children can be seriously injured if they are playing in or near some of this debris. The harvesting of inter-tidal species of plants and animals, which can be easily effected as well.

Regardless, collectively we are now left with unsightly and in some cases potentially dangerous messes to clean up so that we can all enjoy our precious wilderness sites. In the coming weeks there are several community groups that will be organizing beach sweeps and clean up walks. Watch the Events column for the dates and contact information.

There is no substitute for a good first impression. If travelers to our province are greeted with roadways that are depositories for every possible type of fast food container, paper bottles etc., what kind of perspective do they acquire?

It is for this reason that in 1997 the Adopt-A-Highway program was developed. This program gives volunteer groups "the opportunity to help their communities by collecting litter and beautifying roadsides and interchange areas."

Last year almost 6,000 bags of garbage were collected by 160 groups along these adopted highways. Digby County has many highways that are still looking to be adopted. If you are interested in becoming part of this program you can contact Adopt-A Highway, Box 550, Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N 5E3.

We all need to make an effort to keep our communities clean and safe. Perhaps if we thought twice about our actions this annual effort would not be as necessary.