With the ground beginning to thaw and the ice and snow FINALLY looking like it’s on its way, people, myself included, are starting to get out and enjoy a walk in the nice weather. Ontario parks are going to be open soon, and local parks are starting to have more active staff. People will soon begin enjoying relaxing afternoons with lunch in their favourite nature spots, or grabbing a coffee from a local shop and heading out for a morning walk. What’s better than enjoying nature with a sweet treat or savoury snack to go with it? I’m here to give you a little PSA about preserving nature, as we begin to head into the warmer seasons. Pick up your trash!

Let’s talk about the picture above to start me off. My brother saw this on the beach near our house last summer and was completely disappointed. We’re not against enjoying a fun day on the beach with a few drinks, but pick it up after! Leaving trash anywhere besides the appropriate bin when taking in the joy of nature is unacceptable. Not only does it take away from others’ experiences, as nobody wants to see this, but it can also harm the wildlife in the area. The trash that humans leave on the ground is made up of materials that don’t break down easily and are not meant for birds, small animals, and other wildlife to interact with. Even your “harmless” apple core should be thrown out in a bin or compost. Leaving food around attracts animals to places where they shouldn’t be, like the side of a highway or the playground of a park.

Let’s leave our nature spots as nature spots and leave behind nothing but our footprints. I encourage you to get out and enjoy a hike or lunch in the park, but remember to bring back anything that goes in with you. So bring that cup of coffee with you on your morning stroll, but don’t leave it behind as a souvenir for the environment. If you don’t have a garbage bin nearby, don’t worry, you can always bring it home and pitch/recycle it there. Heck, my mom uses empty coffee cups to start her spring seedlings in when given the chance! All I’m saying is let’s do our best to preserve our environment and make it a relaxing place for everyone.

I’d say it’s worth keeping clean, wouldn’t you?

That’s all that I have for today. I know I didn’t talk too much about recycling or how we can “go green,” but the point of this post was more or less to promote anti-littering. Don’t worry, you’ll be hearing more from me about nature conservation. I ask you this, when you’re out and about and see people not picking up after themselves, encourage them to change their ways and give them a reason why. Nobody likes a trashy Earth! Feel free to share if you’ve had any experiences with this, if you’ve felt the need to step up and say something, or if you’ve every had to pick up someone else’s left-behind trash. Thanks for reading!