One Hour, Two People, Five Bags of Trash

It took my sister and I about an hour to remove enough trash from a patch of Joshua tree and pinyon juniper habitat in the west Mojave Desert to fill five garbage bags full of trash, not to mention a few card board boxes that did not fit in the bags.  This is one of the edge effects that population centers have on the desert -- trash that either blows away from the owner or dumped illegally (I'll address the latter in a follow-up post).   The trash can pose a fire hazard, trap or choke some wildlife, and is a blight on the landscape.

Pick a place, set aside an hour or two, bring gloves and some trash bags, and get out there and clean.

But think about how quickly a few volunteers can make a difference  If you're interested, you can always grab a pair of gloves and some trash bags and clean up your neighborhood.  It is quite fulfilling to look back on your favorite desert spot as you haul away the trash.   If you want a more structured project, check out the Mojave Desert Land Trust.  They organize or support clean up and restoration events in the Mojave, including Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve.  

Comments

  1. MorongobillJanuary 8, 2013 at 6:27 PM

    Outstanding job well done and post!

    I always thought this is a good family activity also especially with young children, learning about nature and instilling a caring and responsible ethic within them.

    ReplyDelete

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