A Tennessee hiker shared a truly bizarre find deep along a trail in a city park.
Curtis Wasmer (@curtiswasmer) shared a photo on Instagram of a huge mirror he found deep along a trail in Beaman Park in Nashville.
"At least four miles from the trailhead - big, heavy, a good photo op, but litter just the same," Wasmer said in the caption. And indeed, it is a huge mirror and looks awfully heavy.
How and why someone decided to lug a giant mirror four miles down a gorgeous nature trail remains unknown. Perhaps they were really tired of it in their house and didn't want to donate it; perhaps it was some attempt at an ill-advised impromptu art installation along the trail. Whatever the reason, Wasmer was right; it was absolutely litter cluttering up an otherwise gorgeous trail.
Litter remains a massive problem at many parks and scenic spots. Major tourist attractions like Yosemite are particularly prone to it, and some of the finds in the piles of abandoned detritus are particularly strange. But smaller, local campsites are also plagued by litter, and parks across the country have been beset by plastic and other waste as well.
All hope is not lost, though; concerted efforts to clean up litter are underway nationwide, and the National Park Service is strongly encouraging visitors to engage in the seven principles of Leave No Trace to ensure that our most treasured national sites stay clean and safe for visitors. These principles are to prepare and plan ahead, to travel and camp on durable surfaces only, to properly dispose of any and all waste, to leave anything you might find, to minimize campfire impacts, to respect wildlife, and to be respectful of others.
Commenters were quick to point out their distaste.
"I hate litter!" one said.
"Park officials gathered it up," Wasmer replied.
🗣️ Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty?
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🔘 Only in some areas ☝️
🔘 No way 👎
🔘 I'm not sure 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
The park itself jumped into the comments to inform Wasmer that the mirror was "gone now."
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