I can’t seem to escape trash.

Whether on daily walks, driving to a new place in Contra Costa County, the walk between the parking structure and office, or even a backpacking trip through a remote area, I know I will find trash. To me, this is heart breaking. I try to pick up trash when I see it, but one person can only do so much. I love hosting volunteer cleanups because they provide a time and place to gather trash together.

As garbage breaks down, pollutants and chemicals leach into our soil and waterways, negatively impacting life to an extent hard to imagine. Cleaning up litter is much more than beautifying the place I am experiencing. I am instantaneously connected to and become a caregiver for it, protecting those who depend on it. I start my events by opening a dialogue about the history of the space, the importance of picking up trash, and the benefits of data collection. In addition to removing trash and recording data, my goal is to foster a relationship between the space and each volunteer. As we create bonds to the places around us, our connections to these spaces grow, and we build momentum toward improving them.

I dream about a future where there is no trash for volunteers to find during cleanups.

This may seem out of reach at times, however, I know this is possible with teamwork. I can see it when those boy scouts pull a shopping cart out of the creek. I can see it when that retired fella drags multiple water logged tires from the marsh with friends. I can see it when that young girl spots a frog for the first time during a cleanup. The first step to the future I yearn for is building a connection to the places around us and to each other, and collaborating to find a way toward this vision. A good place to start is participating in your local creek cleanups. To celebrate Earth Day, the CCRCD is hosting various trash cleanup events throughout our county during the month of April. To learn more and join, visit our events page at https://www.ccrcd.org/events.