Walking along Woodland Road, the stretch from in front of Invista, past Chapel Branch Nature Trail, until the road ends in the Woodland Ferry area, you might not see the space off to the side of the road.  I am more an avid watcher of these areas from trying to keep the litter and garbage off this stretch of road as well as the Chapel Branch Nature And Vince Morris Trail.

Today, unfortunately, over four bags of garbage were strewn all over plants in the front of the parking  lot, beer bottles, cups, and garbage thrown all along the sides of the streams, and people took time to carve the usual obscene messages about their body parts that they probably wish they had.

In my mind I wonder, is this the reflection they want others to think of Delaware when they visit such nature trails?  Is this what they want younger children to see as they are out and about nature?  What further cemented this thought in my mind was the condoms that are strewn all over the nature and I thought, “Trust me, if you are this less intelligent to not know how to clean up after yourself, let alone know how to properly dispose of garbage, you think you have the smarts for using a condom?  Good luck with that buddy…”

What is a further kicker is you have individuals such as Mr Beiser, 91 years old picking up garbage from those who are trashier than the garbage left behind, individuals who take ATVS’s and gouge out native plants and trails, and take posts and benches restored by local youth organizations and raise anything of value that is valuable, now during Covid, to ruin.

I understand there are  some pretty disgusting people in this world, butit deflates me even more that we have some of the trashiest, ugliest, foulest people in our community that leave this reflection of what represents our community, whether we like it or not.  Further, every three days I fill up at least 3 garbage bags that are whiskey bottles, beer cans, soda cans, family packs of McDonald’s food wrappings, Dunkin Donuts bags, Arby’s sauce packets, and lots and lots of Wawa bags.  Mainly these establishments.  I  have no desire AT ALL to frequent these establishments after seeing how much of their garbage is thrown out of the car,  garbage people who consume and think it is okay to open the window, throw as far as you can into anything green and growing outside of your vehicle. I understand that the establishments have no control of the garbage people who litter and what they do with their trash, however, it WOULD be nice, as community members to use their presence to air advertisements and requests to dispose of their garbage in the proper place, and not ruin the natural environments around us – to reflect those who treasure these areas.

Yes, every other day, three to four garbage bags, those that care will continue to clean up after people who are as sick as the Covid that surrounds us, those that do not realize their garbage becomes our garbage just because they see this as the best way. It seems logical we have so many endangered species, animals, wildlife, forest, and environment when this type of attitude is the most dominant when you are present in nature trails, but it is disheartening to see how this reflects us as a state when it is being said every day, despite attempts to clean our own backyards up.  I am one that believes we are lucky to have this state of Delaware, the natural spaces we are lucky enough to have amid such a pandemic as we are in, and do indeed hope that those that continue to destroy the last remaining resources we have and can enjoy, and are restored by our youth, will have enough intellect from now until they age, that they can do better, for their state, for future generations, for their community.   One can only hope.