Where Do I Do A Litter Cleanup?

Being a steward of the land may seem a bit overwhelming at first. We see so much media, podcasts, documentaries, articles letting us know what state of the planet is in -- and it's not good. Seeing all of this data and information is good, we should all want to learn, but it can also feel overwhelming on what to do. Where do you start? 

There are many ways to get involved and take care of the planet, one of which is picking up litter in outdoor spaces that it doesn't belong! Litter in nature takes a very long time to break down, impacts wild life, soil, plant ecosystems, waterways and more. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but it is certainly making that big of an impact. 

With that said, we can all become caretakers for the planet by picking up this litter when we see it, even if it isn't ours! We encourage and celebrate every person who goes out and makes a difference but removing trash from natural spaces it isn't meant to be in. When we add up all the effort we are making individually, it becomes a much bigger, greater result for the planet! 

So, where do you go to pick up litter? It's much more simple than you may think! 

Walking around your home may surprise you. Neighborhoods are trafficked and busy and by you taking even just 10 minutes to walk around your block, you can leave your home space looking more beautiful and cared for. 

Local parks are busy hubs for people to go spend time outside. Take a stroll through your local park and leave it just a little bit better, one piece of trash at a time.

Waterways are greatly impacted by litter. If you live by a river, creek, ocean, lake or other body of water -- go out for a bit and see just what you can do to leave the shores, tides and banks more beautiful. 

You will be doing a big service to take care of the trails, and even more so the trailheads and parking lots where trash may be accumulating even more than you imagined. There is no trail too big or too small to tend to! 

From city streets, alley ways and parking structures -- cityscapes deserve TLC too. When you care for these city spaces, you will leave them more aesthetically pleasing and therefore, more beautiful for others to enjoy as well. You never know who you will inspire by going out and taking care of these areas and just what a boost to this environment may feel like.

Camping is a fun past time and it can be a major buzzkill to come to a campsite to a bunch of discarded and left over trash. Litter at campsites is not only unappealing, it is also dangerous for wildlife that will get into this kind of trash that isn't natural to their environments or diets.

If a space is on public lands, you can clean it up and leave it better! Do research on public lands in your area, close your eyes, pick a spot on the map and go! 

Popular place to visit and road trip to, national parks are great places to give back and pick up litter when you see it! 

If you don't feel ready to go out and pick up litter on your own, invite friends and family to join you or participate in a local cleanup near you!