“Take a hike!” The generic green sign near one of my favorite walking paths exclaimed. It stuck in my mind all day. I kept noticing the amount of garbage which multiplied each time I visited. Hardly anyone was abiding by the very first rule of going out into nature: Bring out what you bring in.
The amount of trash that kept building up made me wish I put some plastic bags and gloves in my small pack. There seems to be some psychological effect from setting too many rules and regulations that produces bad behavior. This is the well-known knee-jerk reaction to authority, especially after more than three years of being locked down during the pandemic.
There is most likely a bar chart in the works that will demonstrate the seriousness of the problem. There are those outdoor enthusiasts among us who need to see the true visual picture of what is continuing to happen to these places of natural beauty.
Enjoy Nature! “ or “Get Outdoors!” are only two of the many two word phrases used in advertising slogans popping up all over the state. These promotional campaigns do encourage everyone to go outside.
John Q. Public these days needs to be reminded about individual ways they can take better care of nature’s resources After all, some may remember that our part of our taxes are used annually to maintain these public spaces. Years ago, this same phrase had a very different meaning. Scram, Skedaddle, or just plain go away was said often in a family of five kids. Get out of here was the only message it transmitted. It will be a sad day when we all read a sign that tells us to just go away and even “jump in the lake” while we are at it.
By Dolly Viscardi
