Yesterday, my buddy and I strapped on our hip waders

[Squatch]

and cleaned out about 2 acres of riparian wetlands that lie adjacent to the Potomac River. We spent about 3 hours in an incredibly brambly swamp, and when all was said and done, we had easily amassed 1000 pounds worth of trash. When we were done, we both looked at that thicket and exclaimed "muuuuuuuuch better".

The trash consisted of:

1) Plastic shopping bags. 95% of the bags with recognizable brands on them were Wal-mart bags.
2) Building supplies like Tyvek home wrap and anti-erosion matting.
3) Trash cans (a couple times over the last year, we had some very windy days that coincided with trash pickup)
4) Personal trash like beer cans, clothing items, and one SPAM-brand beach ball.

We're planning on going back to finish this swamp before the bugs and snakes come out this spring. We are also going to exapnd our operations to other swamps in the Woodbridge area.

This fall, I'm going to set up a couple tree stands back there because it was absolutely rife with deer sign. It's a suburban area, so the deer get absolutely no pressure from hunters.

[InvisibleTouch]

1. I commend you!

Definitely a worthwhile project. Would have been interesting to take a picture of all that accumulated trash and post it somewhere, so people can see where their junk goes when they carelessly toss it out. I know Kroger's recycles shopping bags - they have a bin at the front of the store where people can bring their old bags - but other stores should be encouraged to do the same.

[Squatch]

3. We were thinking the same thing. Should have taken before and after pics

My back is killing me today, though!

[The Stranger]

14. Then recommend the thread.

[demnan]

2. I live in Woodbridge

Thank you for doing this. I often have to clean up around in my Lake Ridge area. I never could understand why people throw trash around in nice wooded areas.

Thanks again, neighbor! :hi:

[Squatch]

4. I chalk it up to lazy assholes who just don't care.

Have you been down Route 1 through Woodbridge to Dumfries, lately? Take a look at the damage that they're doing to Neabsco Creek (by the Wa Wa). My wife and I were talking about this, and wondering why they feel compelled to develop every square inch of property.

In your neck of the woods, they're doing a ton of damage, too. Especially up around Minnieville and Old Bridge Roads.

[demnan]

9. Yeah, that's true

The widening of Minneville there was needed for traffic flow, but it sure ruins the look of the area, why most of us came to Lake Ridge in the first place.

[Virginia Dare]

13. It seems like a lot of it falls and/or blows off trash trucks too...n/t

[King Coal]

5. Good on ya, Squatch. You deserve some venison.

[CrispyQ]

6. A never ending job, but , nice work!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: to you & your buddy.


Whole Foods Market® to Sack Disposable Plastic Grocery Bags by Earth Day

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/pressroom/pr_01-22-08.html

snip...

Grocer Encourages Use of Reusable Shopping Bags, Declaring Today "Bring Your Own Bag Day;" Celebrates by Giving Away Over 50,000 Reusable Bags to Customers Companywide

AUSTIN, Texas. (January 22, 2008). Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI), the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket, announced today it will end the use of disposable plastic grocery bags at the checkouts in all of its 270 stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. with the goal to be plastic bag-free by Earth Day, April 22, 2008.

"Central to Whole Foods Market's core values is caring for our communities and the environment, and this includes adopting wise environmental practices," said A.C. Gallo, co-president and chief operating officer for Whole Foods Market. "More and more cities and countries are beginning to place serious restrictions on single-use plastic shopping bags since they don't break down in our landfills, can harm nature by clogging waterways and endangering wildlife, and litter our roadsides. Together with our shoppers, our gift to the planet this Earth Day will be reducing our environmental

[Squatch]

7. Yep! I saw that the last time I shopped at WF.

In Germany, most stores charge a nominal fee per bag which has damn near discouraged use of new bags.

[Le Taz Hot]

10. That is a great idea.

We should adopt that strategy in this country. I purchased canvass bags at Food Maxx for 94 cents each. They give me 5 cents per bag credit every time I do my shopping there. Not only are the canvass bags twice as big, you can carry the heavy bags by the handles without worrying about the handles breaking. AND I don't have a bunch of plastic bags hanging around all the time.

And, on behalf of Earth Mother, THANK YOU for cleaning up other people's filth. One of the rules I was taught early on was, when camping, always leave the campsite cleaner than when you came upon it.

[InvisibleTouch]

8. Trader Joe's encourages reusable bags too.

They haven't gone quite as far as eliminating their own plastic bags, but if you bring your own bag, you can enter a monthly drawing for $25 of groceries. And their prices on organic foods are very reasonable.

Aldi (which is a German company) charges a small fee for bags, so people often bring their own there too, or use spare boxes from the store to pack their food.

Maybe it comes down to a financial incentive, in the end, to change consumer habits.

[Virginia Dare]

11. Good for you...

and thanks for helping to thin the deer population here in Northern Virginia. The poor things will end up starving to death or hit by cars.

[Squatch]

16. There's a lot of wildlife back there.

My neighbor had a large red fox mosey up to his back door on Saturday. We always see bald eagles that have built nests in the taller trees.

[Virginia Dare]

19. We have a ton of it here too..

and I live a mile outside the beltway. We've even seen coyotes. I've got a big old hawk hanging out in my backyard. It's definitely weird, I grew up in the D.C. suburbs and never have I seen so much wildlife. It makes you wonder what's going on.

[RebelOne]

20. Few deer starve to death. Car/deer accidents, yes.

From the Virginia DNR Web site:

Hunter harvest is the primary cause of white-tailed
deer mortality (Gladfelter 1984, Matschke et al. 1984,
Nixon et al. 1994, Hansen et al. 1997).

[Virginia Dare]

22. Maybe statewide, not here in Northern Virginia though..

where there is no hunting, except on private property, and there are few properties large enough to hunt on. The predators are coming back, so that helps. You're right though, most are killed by cars, it's a terrible problem around her.

[iamthebandfanman]

12. good going!

we should all take to your example and get out n do something

[Squatch]

15. Despite getting royally chewed up in the brambles

it was kinda fun getting my hands dirty. Once we got back in the woods a bit, the serenity of the place so close to my home was kinda shocking.

Here's an aerial of the acreage we cleaned out. We cleaned along the W-E winding creek bottom from the construction site to close to the Potomac. It got really mushy towards the river so we had to hold about 100 yards short.

Link

[iamthebandfanman]

18. oh i know the joys of doing it

u dun hafta tell me how rewarding it is to get out and accomplish something for the better of the earth and others as well.

during the spring and summer months i take random trips to go hiking in state parks(i live in kentucky and there is alot of park area). i always take a couple trash bags incase i run into any grabage on trails or on the sides of roads that lead to trails. its actually pretty disturbing the amount of trash people take with them down a trail in the woods. i once found an entire LARGE coffee can FULL of cigarettes... knocked over... all across the trail.... talk about one pissed off hiker(me). lol

again, way to get out there n do something! everyone should do the same. thanks for doing your part

[DemoTex]

17. Thanks, Squatch! I used to kayak the west bank of the Potomac ..

Mainly, I paddled the stretch from Old Town Alexandria to the Ft. Belvoir area. I was always amazed by the vast amounts of trash.

Particularly poignant were the signs along the Potomac's banks (in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese) saying: LIMIT THE EATING OF FISH TAKEN FROM THESE WATERS TO ONE PORTION PER WEEK. I fished for sport (especially for rock fish near the eastern supports of the Wilson Bridge). Those to whom those signs spoke were fishing, for the most part, to feed their families.

In fact, a buddy who also had a Folbot kayak, was into goose/duck hunting. He had a blind in a marsh on the west bank near Ft. Belvoir. I did not hunt, but I did paddle with him pre-dawn or late-afternoon and watched him shoot.

I was always happy for him to get a goose. Geese were my biggest fear flying in and out of Washington National (I was based there). As you know, that is a waterfowl flyway and the goose population, like the deer, is out of control. A goose or two through the windshield or an engine of a Boeing 737 would ruin your whole day.

[Squatch]

21. Like Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary

Though very beautiful it's location at the northern end of the Washington National airport seems kinda puzzling.

[Libby2]

23. Yay!! Good for you!

Thank you for sharing it with us too.
I love stories like this.

[Squatch]

24. My pleasure! The next time we go out there, we're taking pics

[EstimatedProphet]

25. I've done that on the Potomac a few times myself

Funny how it always needs to be cleaned, isn't it?

[Phillycat]

26. My husband and I always bring our big blue IKEA bags to the supermarket.

We won't contribute to this problem. Good for you for your hard work!

[roguevalley]

27. My new heroes. I am proud of you all.