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Pick it Up


I hope that everyone had the pleasure to see the "Centurian Environmentalist" on the weather station. She lives in Vernon, B.C. and is 102 years old. Every day she goes out and "picks up things that shouldn't be there". She said, "humans need to be thinking more about the environment". Everyone in the community knows her. She carries a cardboard sign that says, "May I have a ride". When she gets tired, she simply pulls out the sign and someone takes her home. Vernon has honored her contribution to their city and has named a street after her. This story just warmed my heart, to think a woman that is over 100 years old is helping her community in such a devoted manner.  

In Brandon, we have a woman that also cleans up the ditches. She is certainly not the age of the woman that lives in B.C., but she is in her retirement. She and her bike are seen at various spots in and around the city. She has been doing this for years. She was featured in the paper once sharing some of the items she has picked up. She has kept track of the unbelievable the number of water bottles, cans and other items that she has recycled.   

I don't know what litter reduction projects are going on in Brandon. At one time, they had a program they called "Tidy up Tuesday". Tuesday was a designated day that the public was asked to take a few minutes of their time and simply clean up a space.    

Earlier in the spring there were several people downtown with claws and wagons picking up litter. I think they were doing community service, but I'm not 100% sure. They were doing a great job, and it was nice to see the garbage disappearing. 

I read an article about littering. People that litter are classed as casual or chronic litters. The article stated that accessibility of a garbage can is a factor. The more trash bins available the more likely they will be used. People have a higher tendency to litter if they are in an area that already has trash on the ground. 

Littering is described as the worst form of behavior on the environment. It is inconsiderate, takes up space and I might add illegal. Littering laws in Canada are at the municipal level not federal. Most fines are about $500. 

I was unable to find what Canada spends annually on cleaning up litter. This might give you an idea, Toronto every year spends $27 Million on litter removal. Canadians throw away 3 million Tonnes of plastic annually. 

What are people thinking when they walk away from a picnic table or a community space and leave behind their entire McDonald's meal or Tim Horton's cups. Or when they throw their garbage out the window of their vehicle. There seems to be little thought as to who will pick that up or what it is doing to the environment.  

I love what the lady from Vernon said, "she picks up things that shouldn't be there". Isn't that powerful. She loves where she lives and wants it to look nice and clean. After seeing this little lady on TV, I am hopeful those that live in her community, never drop another piece of garbage. I know she has had an impact on me, and I am so hopeful it will be the same for others. What an incredible woman. What it said to me is, move past the feeling of picking up someone else's garbage and look at it as something that shouldn't be there. 



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