Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Litter Mob 10


I think this sums up the aesthetic of the woods. Look up? OK, don't move...

And look down.


We had a very busy morning. There was a lot of trash. Really a lot. 


This is the base of a very old tulip tree.


Part of a fence had been crushed so that access was granted there instead of 40 feet to either side.


The base of a beech tree on the slope leading up to Rick's Place.


The beech itself, which appears to be dying. The bark is splitting and one side is so rotten that one can dent the trunk with a finger.



We found many bottles and cans, which sometimes fill with water, and...other liquid. We heard some horror stories that I won't repeat. Cans and bottles make the trash bags very heavy, leading to Litter Mob Wrist. Closely related to Trash Grabber Callous. Callus. Whatever.


This is part of the highly trafficked maze of paths on the steep slope to Rick's Place, that winds in and out of the beautiful, big trees. The earth here is solid, slippery, and useless as a forest floor. Leaf litter cannot accumulate and break down as it should. There is no woodsy cushion above the tree roots. These paths should not be here. At the base of each tree or downed log is a pile of condoms, wrappers, wipes, tissue, cigar containers, snacks and bottles. How hard would it be for users of the woods to carry these out?
Nastily, yesterday was a special day for coming upon faeces/feces in unexpected places. Yes, I took a picture. 


Also a lot of picturesque placement of used condoms. Is this really how we want the woods to look? Why do I even ask.


Did you lose your belt?


Or your shades?


Or your signage?


Or your way?


There were horses...


And bracket fungi...


And asters...

And moss like jungles on mountains...


There was a lesson on sawing branches without being wacked in the jaw...we used the branches to protect some tree bases.


There were the green woods and the high, hollow drilling of the woodpeckers.


And enormous, fallen tulip tree leaves.


But mostly, there was this. 


Thanks to Inge, Frank, Margaret and David.

Next Litter Mob is September 27th.

Litter Mob results:

8 Bags of trash
Several sawn branches

Seasonal wildflowers spotted:

Eurybia divaricata - wood aster
Impatiens capensis - jewelweed

5 comments:

Maria Pellum, Plainfield Resident said...

Hi Marie,

Is this a new area of the forest you are cleaning or is it the same area that you have been documenting since the start of this effort? I am also wondering if you have had a response from any elected official of your area? And who would the elected officials be in this case? Perhaps a write-in campaing to get their attention would garner more volunteers as well as more resources? Just wondering. Thanks for what you do.

Marie said...

Maria - sadly, this is the same area. No response or interest from an elected official, no, nor have I approached anyone. I have been reluctant to, as this already takes up a lot of my time - the actual volunteering, but also the correspondence with and to volunteers, and blogging about it. It is time consuming.

But it may come to that.

jelli said...

What you do here is fantastic. Every community should take a leaf (pardon the pun) out of your book, grab a bag and some gloves and get out there. Very inspiring :)

Shervin Hess et al said...

you are an inspiration. both for your work and for your stellar birth control photography

Anonymous said...

It's great to see that so many people are having safe sex!