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| Big Sweep Help from Boy Scout Troop 820. |
The NC Big Sweep celebrated 25 years of environmental stewardship this month. What began as a hastily planned coastal cleanup in 1987 has grown into an international effort to get rid of litter and educate the public about the hazards of trash. Over 1,000 people participated that first year, picking up over 14 tons of trash from the waterways just along the North Carolina Coast. Now the Big Sweep's efforts extend to the entire environment not just our waterways. Since it's inception, the Sweep has collected over 10.3 million pounds of trash with the help of more than 300,000 volunteers.
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| Over a dozen bags of old bottles and cans. |
Little River had its Big Sweep on October 1 with over a dozen volunteers pitching in to help remove nearly 600 pounds of trash and debris. Armed with black trash bags and work gloves, volunteers from UNC and the Boy Scouts filled over a dozen trash bags in only two hours. Much of what was collected was refuse of previous landowners: glass bottles, rusting cans, and even an old refrigerator. There were two areas targeted in this years sweep: a section of the birding trail near the large picnic shelter and along the South River Loop trail near marker #70. Broken glass and rusted metal could be seen in the woods from the trail. Volunteers encountered two black rat snakes among the debris, one of which was curled tightly in a tin can.
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| Old refrigerator and other debris. |
Litter can cause a whole range of problems for everyone in the community - human and wildlife alike. Animals can become entangle in litter and unable to free themselves. Or they may mistake litter for food. Plastic litter can choke or suffocate birds and marine animals. Discarded containers can trap small animals. Litter also attracts rodents and mosquitoes which may carry diseases posing a human health hazard. Chemicals may leach from litter and pollute our ground water. Litter looks ugly and costs money to remove.
