Again this year I volunteered to help with an Earth Day clean-up in Worcester, a recurring annual event sponsored by the Regional Environmental Council. The Greater Worcester Land Trust, a site co-ordinator, determined that the Crow Hill protected conservation area was in need of this service, so that’s where I began my day, together with about two dozen other concerned citizens.  GWLT Director Colin Novick and Member Co-ordinator Mary Caulway organized us into teams and distributed the bright yellow trash bags which you see in this photo.  We were a motley crew: parents and children, students and retirees.

The day promised to be unseasonably warm and sunny, so I slathered on sunscreen, and fearing another tick episode, sprayed myself with insect repellant, then set off along the trail.  Within a few hundred yards, we started seeing the trash.  It was horrible stuff, and I don’t want to want to bore you with the details.  Suffice it to say that we worked steadily until almost noon, battling ants, poison ivy, thorns, and mud.  We filled bag after bag and dragged them to a central pick-up site.  At one of the points along the trail where the junk was abundant, Colin rigged up a pulley so that we could fill a large metal trash can with industrial waste and haul it up the hillside.  I was appalled that people would pollute the landscape with this kind of trash, but I think this all happened many years ago, before an environmental stewardship ethic had seeped into public awareness.  That mitigated my anger somewhat, and I simply ground my teeth and continued working until we were called to a cook-out lunch.

I can’t estimated the Crow Hill contribution to the city-wide effort; overall, there were 60 sites and 20 tons of trash collected.  I hope to see the day when this won’t be necessary, but alas, I don’t think it will be in my lifetime.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, first celebrated on April 22, 1970. To renew my commitment to natural resources stewardship, I answered the call to “Work for Wildlife” at Mass Audubon’s Arcadia Sanctuary in Easthampton. My confirmation letter thanked me for signing up for the Trash Trackers project as part of Mass Audubon’s Annual Statewide Volunteer Day, and continued:

Project Description: Help pick up trash along the Fern Trail, River Trail, Old Springfield Road, and in the meadows. Tasks include: picking up trash!
Project Schedule: This project will run from 9AM to noon.

At 9 am sharp, a small group of us donned work gloves, grabbed a few large black trash bags, and headed out toward the Fern and River Trails, which border on the Mill River. We were warned repeatedly about the verges being overrun with poison ivy, and sure enough, we saw numerous large patches of the reddish-colored vines.  Since childhood, I’ve had recurring problems with skin allergies and infections, but oddly enough, I may lack sensitivity to the urushiol in Toxicodendron radicans.  At any rate, I trudged heedlessly through the plants, and five hours later I’ve not yet broken out into a rash.  I really ought to be more careful though.

This cleanup was monotonous and disagreeable work (but certainly worthwhile).  Here’s my summary:

• Most Common:  bottles, tennis balls, floats, disposable lighters
• Most Strange:  two shoes (not a pair) and a toothbrush
• Most Annoying:  bits of styrofoam

The Sanctuary had planned afternoon activities for the volunteers to thank us for helping out, but I had other commitments for the rest of the day and returned home around noon.