Trash Time

Lets talk trash–I mean the stuff that finds its way out of car windows, out of hands, and onto sidewalks and roads. Each year I campaign against the stuff and hope to raise everyone’s consciousness concerning every little single piece of candy wrapper that leaves our hands.

I have a lovely drive home from Ladysmith. However, as the snow line recedes, I see bits of trash, bottles and cans, and discarded food wrappers and cigarette packets. Every year since I've lived in Ladysmith my husband and I have walked along this road, picking up these discards. As we walk, we try to think of reasons that someone would roll down the window and throw out trash upon our beautiful road. We've never found a reason, but only felt sadness at what is left behind.

Wherever you live, I hope you will take time on one of these lovely spring days to take a walk out of doors with your young children or grandchildren. Spring is a great time to take a walk and look for pussy willows. I would also suggest that when you do this that you take a garbage bag with you and teach your young child about taking care of the environment.

For those of you who value the environment and the beauty of where we live in northern Wisconsin, I would like to continue my campaign in celebration of Earth Day. Please go out into your community or along your roads with your young child and teach them your values. Bring along a few garbage bags and some rubber gloves. Help them collect the trash along the way. Take a picture of your children with the bags of trash they have collected. Mail the picture to me along with the names of your children and permission to use their names and possibly the picture in this column. Send it so I can receive it before Sunday, April 22, Earth Day and I will let you know where you can pick up your musical croaking toad and the Toads Environmental Song for your child as a thank you gift from me and the Toad.

Excerpt from the Toads Environmental Song
from the melody: If you’re happy and you know it.

If you see some paper trash,

Pick it up!  croak-croak

If you see some plastic trash,

Pick it up!  croak-croak

You will help the little toads

By putting garbage where it goes

Please help the little toads,

Pick it up!  croak-croak