by N Hutton
Teddy picks up discarded water bottles when out on his walks. It only takes a few Teddy’s (and their pet humans) to pick up one little poop bag full of litter on each walk and soon the countryside looks immaculate.
Its is worth taking a moment to think about. There are walks we go on where there is too much litter. There are others where we go and we don’t see a thing. What’s the difference?
It’s simple, some walkers – with and without dogs – have been along and picked up the litter. No one asked them, no one gave them permission, they just did it! Those people know that the environment is not just found in footage sent back by David Attenborough. It’s a living breathing place that starts as they step out of their front door. They do not wait for someone else to sort it out, so they do it themselves.
Some people might be put off, here are some common objections:
1. It would take too much time!
Perhaps if we try to tidy up everything in one go but if we limit ourselves to one just one bag – or poop bag for dog walkers! – of rubbish per walk. It is quite manageable and takes a few extra minutes but it really builds over time. It has a real impact – fast – as long as we are picking litter up faster than the droppers we soon gain on them.
2. It’s too dirty!
Most of the things we see is packaging. Bottles, cans and crisp packets, the type of things we would pick up if it blew onto our lawn, so treating our walk like our front lawn seems to help. For dog walkers, it’s certainly a lot less smelly than the dog poop we are already picking up!
3. I can’t bend over after I hurt my back bungee jumping!
If you are keen to clean up your route, then you can grab yourself a litter picker. They cost between £5 and £10 and suit some of our volunteers better and they feel the small investment is worth making for a pleasant, clean walk and is great for picking out litter that has become entangled in the bushes.
4. I’m too posh to pick!
If the Prime Minister can do it (and Teddy) so can you!
Prime Minister, Theresa May, out on a litter pick.
So, be like Teddy (and the PM), a bag of litter on your daily walk and you never know, you might just bump into Teddy going the other way!
