that we had not previously explored. Unfortunately, we discovered a shoreline littered with half-full plastic drink bottles, an empty can of corn likely used as trout bait, worm containers and packaging that was fresh enough that it must have come from careless individuals earlier that same day. As we collected the items, I wondered how long it would be until they were replaced with more garbage, and I could see why landowners would want to protect their property from this sort of mess. In late April, an osprey was discovered dangling from a bridge
near Lancaster, its wing tangled in discarded fishing line. The media coverage of the bridge-side, rappelling-based rescue mission led to a video that hopefully will spark more people to learn and adapt the seven principles of the Leave No Trace movement. Ultimately, outdoor activities provide a valuable litmus test of a person’s individual character. Hunters face split-second safety and ethical decisions each time they lower their weapon, primitive circumstances inspire creativity and opportunities for problem solving on hikes and camping trips, people get away fromelectronics and social media and rediscover the therapeutics of being outdoors. Ultimately, these activities provide unique moments of reflection and personal growth that you can’t find elsewhere. When I was younger, I used to assume that outdoor success was measured in fishing creel limits and the size of the rack on a recently harvested buck. However, a true outdoors man is not defined by what he or she brings home, but more importantly, what is left behind. Let’s all do our parts to leave behind a legacy defined by advocacy in place of apathy.
A pile of garbage was collected on May 21 at the Adam T. Memorial Dam near Sunbury.
The morning of May 22, a new bag of trash is collected at the Adam T. Memorial Dam near Sunbury -- less than 24 hours after it was cleaned up previously.
A new pile of litter is collected at the Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam on Thursday, May 27, just five days after the area was cleaned up previously.
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