A hiker at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park recently encountered a scene that left them shaking their head: a big pile of trash dumped, seemingly intentionally, right next to a sign advising visitors to "Keep the Park Clean."
"Why?" the poster asked simply, sharing a picture of the trash pile with the other members of the Frederick, Md., subreddit.
The other community members were equally dismayed at the blatant disrespect for nature. While many commenters raged against the individuals they imagined were responsible, others blamed the national park's lack of trash disposal receptacles for the ongoing problem.
"As someone who rides multiple times a week on this section of the c&o, it's an ongoing issue. First of all the c&o trail is part of the NPS and a 'carry in/carry out' park. So don't expect trash cans," wrote one commenter. "I know groups of people canvas the trail picking up trash and leaving at this location for NPS (or someone) to pick up."
"Not sure if this is just from some A-holes … or accumulated stuff," they added. "This is an absolutely magnificent part of the Potomac and really needs to be respected."
"You can blame it on people all day long, and you're correct, but FIXING the problem is much more effective if you find a way to cope with human behavior. If you look at this pic (and in general, based off of what I see every single day living ~200 yds from the path), the guilty parties ARE generally in the habit of placing their trash where one might expect there to be a trash can. So just put a g****** trash can there," wrote another.
Others lamented the site of a large pile of trash sitting on a nature trail.
"This is unacceptable," wrote one.
"Don't leave trash," another said. "Disgusting."
National parks are a wonderful resource, and if you are fortunate enough to live near one, it is important to treat it with respect — i.e., do not dump large piles of garbage on the ground. In addition to ruining the scenery for your fellow human visitors, many plants and animals (who have seen their natural habitats shrink over the years) call these parks home. Garbage — in particular, plastic waste — is very dangerous to them.
If a park does not have a garbage can — many national parks have a "carry in/carry out" policy, as alluded to by one of the Reddit commenters — make sure you bring your trash with you when you leave and dump it at the nearest trash can you can find.
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