This post was written by Erika Obedzinski, 2010 Office Director.
This past Saturday, 18 staff and volunteers spent the morning along Lee Vining Creek and Silver Lake picking up trash as part of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy‘s Great Sierra River Cleanup. Thirty-eight pounds of trash might not sound like a lot, but our efforts were worthwhile, since as in many places along waterways in the Eastern Sierra, the trash includes a lot of fishing line. Fishing line doesn’t weigh much, but can be devastating to birds and other wildlife if they become entangled in it. We kept our eyes out for the nearly invisible line, along shorelines and in the willows and other vegetation nearby. Along with many other items, we picked up a grand total of 468 cigarette butts—another lightweight but prominent trash item. It was wonderful to have the help of several local volunteers and also a group from Beyer High School in Modesto, who were here all last week participating in the Mono Lake Committee‘s Outdoor Experiences program. Thank you to everyone that helped at this and other clean up events on September 25th—and to those who help keep our lakes and rivers clean throughout the year!
