Things
are getting quieter down by the little pond, but not in a “peaceful summer
evening” kind of way with brilliant sunsets, sighing breezes and the gentle
distant splash of flipper and wing.
No.
It’s getting quiet in a “something’s very wrong here” sort of a way.
Once
upon a time, no so very long ago, that pond crawled with critters. There would
be two or three families of mallards, with a couple of females sometimes
leading a dozen chicks around behind them. Sometimes two or three beautiful
emerald-headed males would glide around together. Geese would conglomerate by
the bunch, resting on the grass or playing around in the water. A Red-Necked
Grebe once took up residence and raised a chick there. We got to see how Mama
Grebe dove deep into the water and came up with a mouthful of plants which she
deposited into baby’s waiting bill. We even once spotted a couple of Bufflehead
Ducks out paddling around.
It
used to be very common for the air to be alive with quacks and honks and chirps
and the distinctive merry laughter of the Grebe. Birds would soar over the pond
and then come in for a landing with a mighty and exciting SPLAAAASH!!!!
Now
there is silence.
Oh
sure, we’ve seen ducks a couple of times, and some geese, too. But, much to our
confusion, they all vanished almost immediately. Even the Grebe showed up
briefly once and hasn’t been seen since.
Now,
more days than not, the water is silent and empty. Not a creature in sight. And
we have the awful feeling that we know exactly why.
Each
year our quiet little pond gets more and more thick with garbage. The reeds are
heavy with beer cans, liquor bottles, plastic bags and all manner of fast food
containers. From time to time we see bicycle handles poking above the surface
and, in one spot, a grocery cart can be seen partially buried in the pond bed.
When the water is clear, you can see all kinds of old, junk on the bottom
graying away from seasons past.
But
this year, it seems to be worse than ever. I was noticing that the other day as
I peered over the railing into a mass of trash choking out the bulrushes. I
wouldn’t be at all shocked if this was the reason the creatures are
disappearing. And can you blame them? I mean, if you were a Mother or a Father,
would you want to raise your babies on top of a pile of rubbish? Wouldn’t you
go looking for somewhere else to raise them? Anywhere else?
Of
course, they may need a little luck with that. This is problem is nowhere near
exclusive to our little pond. In the last few years I’ve found it more and more
difficult to find a creek, pond or tributary where I could watch the birds and
other creatures without having to peer around cups, cans and bottles.
The
question – the big, BIG question – is why on earth is this happening? Only once
we find that out will we be able to answer the other huge question: How do we
stop it for once and for all?
I
did a bit of online searching and found that I’m not the only one who’s been
asking this question. Numerous studies have shown several answers come up over
and over.
1.
Laziness: Well, I can believe that. I
was looking out over the lake, worrying about that garbage just the other day
when I turned around and counted no fewer than four trash barrels just steps
away from the railing. We have to, somehow, make it more trouble to throw the
trash in the pond than to walk 10 feet to a trash can. Way more trouble.
2.
Ignorance: Some folks just don’t get the
profound impact that littering has on our environment and why that should
matter to them.
3.
Dirty Environment: People are more
likely to litter in a place that’s already strewn with trash. So as soon as you
see something you can reach, pick it up and dispose of it properly. The cleaner
we keep our parks and public areas, the less likely other will be to litter
there again. (We hope!)
4.
Lack of Responsibility: This is the
biggie, and the hardest to answer. Studies show that people really don’t see litter
or cleanliness as their responsibility. “It’s a city-owned park, right? So let
the city clean it up. It’s not my problem. So why should I bother to walk all
the way to a trash can, much less pick up anybody else’s garbage?” What a
terrible and infuriating attitude.
People are working
on the litter problem all the time, and sometimes making some progress. But the
problem persists.
Here are some examples of some anti-litter programs that were considered successful.
Meanwhile, there are a few little things we can each do as individuals to help take a step forward.
Meanwhile, there are a few little things we can each do as individuals to help take a step forward.
·
Gently and respectfully
encourage a healthy attitude in all around you.
·
Throw out your trash and other
trash you see blowing around. Remember, once it hits the water, it’s impossible
to get it back without a boat or scuba gear.
·
Use re-usable containers for
your lunch and snacks so there is nothing to throw away after the fact.
The other day, I
went down to the pond again and looked out at the silent, empty water. Then I
wandered around the perimeter. As I approached a particular clump of rushes, a
mother duck and her single baby chick suddenly rustled out of the brush,
slipped into the water and paddled away.
Hope?
"101020 Müll Ballon Reuss001" by Nienetwiler - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 ch via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:101020_M%C3%BCll_Ballon_Reuss001.jpg#/media/File:101020_M%C3%BCll_Ballon_Reuss001.jpg
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