Saturday, October 15, 2011

Litter Mob 12 - what we found


The new trash can (one of two, appropriated from somewhere else in the park) was about one third full of trash, which is encouraging. Hard to know who puts it there - denizens of the woods, or walkers on the road that skirts it? This Area Closes at Sunset sign was trashed and lying behind a log with a soiled tissue on it, message received. Some chalk graffiti on the tar path.  And then some esoterica: dog repellent? Sugar free spray candy? A sackful of prescription acne face wash? Rick's Place sign corrected.  The usual, otherwise: dozens of condoms wrappers, nasty bits, many, many bottles...


Litter Mob  12 Results:

6 bags of trash

Installed:

1 Fence, x 100 feet, installed on the slope (with one opening, and space for critters underneath): to start the rehabilitation process.

Seasonal Wildflowers Spotted:

Ageratina altissima - snakeroot
Solidago caesia - golden wreath solidago
Symphyotrichum cordifolium - blue wood aster

We don't know if the fence will remain un-flattened, but we hope so. The Woodland Youth Crew will continue fencing and then we will tackle the compacted paths, breaking them up with a mattock, and hopefully planting woodland perennials.


Oh, and the soap in the bathrooms near the Flatbush Avenue entrance and carousel. Empty these last many Tuesdays, so no washing possible. The women's side had soap this time. Excellent. The men's side had no soap at all, not even the dispenser, so the male volunteer used some ladies' soap. Picking up this trash and then carrying rebar around and hammering it in with no work gloves does require just a little soap afterwards, I find.

I had to laugh at the sign above the door, though. Quaint.


The bathrooms in the Picnic House on the western side of the park are admirable - clean, given the traffic they must enjoy and adequately stocked. The Flatbush one seems to be the poor cousin.

There was a lot of trash left to gather, especially on The Slope. Next time: 25 October.

Support sought, as our core crew will be engaged in that other thing they do: their own work and lives.

Thanks to Frank, Inge, Paulette and David.

No comments: