First Glance

March 5, 2006



Today was a brisk but sunny day. We decided that if we were going to venture down the ravine to pick up garbage now would be a good time before the spring thaw. The plants are barely beginning to to bud so we were able to get a good look at exactly what we are dealing with. It isn’t pretty. It has been 13 years since we had a major clean up so I expected trash but I didn’t expect the amount of tires and other big items.



Even the trash amount was staggering. I find it discouraged to see items that can be thrown away in kitchen waste bin. Why the need to dump into a wooded ravine? Another “shake your head” moment was when I found bags of composting leaves thrown down the hillside in plastic trash bags. How hard is it to dispose of things properly?

We spent seven hours picking up trash and sorting piles of metal. This is not an easy task since the ravine hillsides are thick with wild roses and at times I felt like I was climbing a 45 degree angle to get to the top. One of the most annoying problems is the amount of broken glass that litter the ground. I can’t imagine wildlife walking among the glass. I sliced up my shoes and tore a few bags, but I’m happy to report - no cuts, this time.

Trash collected today: 13 Trash bags of garbage taken from the ravine & a large amount of metal items. Still there is so much to take out. We started to collect a small pile of tires but we are unsure of where they need to be taken. A year ago the city of Moline said they would help dispose of them but now I’m not sure.