[Razorbackfan74] When asked about essential gear for your pontoon boat on the Forum Member Spotlight, I should have said trash bags. I took my daughter island camping for Memorial Day weekend on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas. It is over 40,000 acres with more than 200 islands, 700 miles of shoreline and is considered one of the cleanest lakes in the nation and even has rare freshwater jellyfish! Within hours of the weekend partygoers showing up, I started noticing trash from boats (cans, water bottles, etc.) nearly everywhere we went. I try to instill in my daughter a sense of pride in our natural resources and we always try to leave the lake cleaner than we find it. Spread the word and remind others to keep our waterways clean and beautiful.
[cdoc] One way to keep our waterways clean is to stop using plastic unless it is absolutely necessary. I am a diver and have encountered plastic hundreds of miles from land and in large quantities. Cleaning up is an essential responsibility, but also consider where "away" is when you throw something away.
Far too much ends up in our waterways and in the ocean.
[mave234] Such a great post, I am forever reminding anyone who will listen, “It does not matter who threw it there, when you walk (or boat) past it, you have become part of the problem rather than the solution. Pick it up and get rid of it properly.”
I don’t have to remind my children; they do it on their own.
[Pogo Pyrate] I could not agree more. Always have my trash picker onboard and plenty of bags. Hardly ever come back from an outing without a lot of stuff I didn't take with me.
What else can we do to keep our lakes and other waterways looking beautiful? Join in the conversation and share your thoughts at www.pdbmagazine.com/forum.
