The time is 10 AM, the location is 'John Conner Nature Preserve'.
It is early yet there is already one fisherman on the banks with two poles cast into the water.
An older gentleman, in a pickup truck, just enjoying the sunshine and some quiet time.
He stops and ask me, "Taking pictures of the Dump are ya?"
That statement alone tells me that even this man knows the conditions have deteriorated. He tells me that every time he comes down he picks up a bag of trash. The sheer volume of it at times is too much for one person to do. Let alone while they are trying to relax and go fishing. IMO, it is unfair to anyone that is trying to relax to have to pick up trash from someone Else's good time.
I promise to point out the positive aspects of this journey and not just the negative. My goal is not to shame people into submission. Honestly, people care or they do not care. Bottom line. Did I pick up all the trash while I was down there? NO, I did not. Like the old fisherman, I picked up what I could. Plus I was not equipped with trash bags, a broom for the copious amounts of broken glass, and anything to fish bags of garbage out of the water.
I do want to say the area by the boat ramp looks a LOT better than it used to. This is due to the efforts of Jessica Linville and Darrick Cloyd. Two individuals who weren't forced to do anything, but chose to give back to the community and nature. After surveying the side they had cleaned, it looked as if most people have been cleaning up after themselves. The litter was very limited, and the waters edge wasn't a catch all for plastic bottles and bags anymore.
I am now going to take you on a picture tour of what I saw while there today. I spent one hour photographing each piece of garbage as if it were it's own person. This is to demonstrate how overwhelming it can be to just one person. Remember the old fisherman, he just wants to relax but finds himself cleaning up garbage.
As soon as I pull up I am greeted by our state bird.
The Cardinal.
The scenery is shattered as soon as I open the door.
I start at the entrance and work my way down to the boat ramp.
It may be hard to see, but this is a huge area littered with shattered glass.
Bait bowl in the water.
I think the bait is being used incorrectly,
A steel cable just chilling in the water.
500 YEARS!
Hey looks, it's the "THROW IT ON THE GROUND TIMES".
Can't have a paper without the ads.
Styrofoam and Plastic.
Both will outlive us if not disposed of properly.
Someones "Kindling" I assume
HUGE piece of particle board.
THIS was hauled down here with effort, then left to rot.
(CORRECTION)
As previously stated, this was not done by humans, but by beavers. I have posted another picture taken 2 weeks after, and something is chewing it down farther. I apologize.
Taken 2 weeks after the above picture.
Partying in nature is fine, but please dispose of your PLASTICS.
These will NOT decompose and will remain in the earth for hundreds of years.
Burning them only releases toxic fumes and chemicals into the environment.
Guess some more people went fishing.
...more particle board. This one in the water.
This picture I like. Let me explain.
It has a certain sad, modern, 1st world appeal to it.
A prime example of the excesses and waste in America.
Another item that will outlive us by 400 years.
Chewing ranks up there with the nastiest things you can do.
Plastic, the nasty bi-product of OIL refinery.
If left in the water and heat it can and will disperse toxic chemicals into the water.
500 Years.
Take your BAIT garbage with you!
500 Years.
This time around I seem to be finding a LOT of garbage in the lake.
Want to guess where it will end up? Back to the area that my friends spent so much time cleaning.
It is literally 30 seconds of effort to dispose of your refuse.
If you don't have this to spare then you need to slow your life down and live a little.
MORE BAIT TRASH!
Plastic + Water + Heat = Not a good time.
A lovely Particle board fire with plastics being burned and left UN-burnt.
Bait lid
Bait bowl
A plastic cup and Tin Can sit in shallow water.
I am leery of closed bags, and containers with fluid.
The world is full of strange, sick individuals who care not about you or I.
The contents remain a mystery, but since it was bagged up why not take it to the trash cans?
Cigarette pack and another BAIT lid
Yet another 40oz beer bottle playing peek a boo with me.
Hot dog container trash.
Not just one...
...But two.
A Fast Food Cup.
This establishment is relatively close to the Preserve.
This was probably dropped by someone on their lunch break.
Hey, just throw it on the ground. I mean you're done with it and why should you be inconvenienced with having to clean up after yourself? I am sure that your life is very important and you can not be troubled with the work of peasants. RIGHT?
This is a first.
Yet, another BAIT lid.
Probably the same lumberjack that couldn't "hack" it with the tree.
Just rip up city property and burn it, why not?
It's stuff like this that makes cities stop putting money into public sanctuaries.
NEVER complain about your town, say it sucks, etc... If you're defacing and littering the very place you complain about.
This was disturbing.
I am not sure if it was a diaper, a bag, or what.
Crumbled up, thrown on the ground.
it doesn't take a forensic pathologist to determine where this stuff comes from.
Yet more glass for your tires and or feet.
After photographing all this trash I saw some fish swimming side by side.
It is sad that their home it being polluted with human waste.
How would you like it if someone came in your house, threw a dirty diaper into your drinking water, busted glass on the ground you walk on, then busted one of your walls out?
This area was looking significantly better.
It was a trap for copious amounts of garbage.
An open fire pit is NOT a trash placement area.
It's not like someone comes along and burns trash every hour.
This was 20 yards from the trash can.
This was literally 10 feet from the trash can.
5 feet from the trash can.
Close enough to walk to the trash can.
Who knows where this came from.
Bags blow around like leaves in the autumn wind.
To prove that they exist, I photographed a trash can.
There is actually another trash can too!
There is a shelter in the middle of the area where you can relax, and then throw your stuff away.
Another shot of an affected area that looks better.
Remember, life isn't just about our own selfish needs and desires.
People liked this spot enough to put a memorial here.
Out of respect for them and the deceased, respect the area.
Random Headlight on a rock.
At least it was put on a rock so it wouldn't be ground up into shards of glass and plastic.
This bottle is sailing away to the magical garbage trap that is an animals habitat.
Swimming may be required to get half of this garbage.
I guess beer bottles, especially glass ones, are just free game to throw anywhere.
Please google how long it takes for plastic to decompose.
More random Fast Food trash.
Meet "The Geese".
They have called this area HOME for many, many years.
Another nasty habit.
Bad breath, cancer, and now litter.
And now the absolutely worst area.
This is the first turn in by the lake.
There used to be a huge rock down there, where did it go?
Anyway, this area has become another catch all for trash.
I apologize for the "frustrated" over tones and cynical sarcasm. It is trying to maintain ones cool while there are dozens of "entitled" people trashing the land around you.
The goal of these blogs is raise awareness, and show that the problem, albeit alleviated at times, is consistently getting worse. This is an environmental issue, a health issue for the animals in the habitat, and a safety issue for the humans who frequent the are.
This is a NATURE PRESERVE.
I am sure there are STIFF fines in place for people who commit such blatant acts of treachery against this preserve. I can only hope that someone gets stuck with a fine, and that others can learn from that. It is obvious that there are a lot of people who just do not care.
What can we do?
Share this blog and pictures.
Volunteer your time to a local organization or just go out on your own.
I encourage you to be safe, wear leather gloves, do not pick up containers with questionable fluid, and remain vigilante while helping your community.
I encourage CITY OFFICIALS to put an accountability program in place for this abuse.
Also, funding for local groups that volunteer their time would be a good start.
These groups function out of their own pocket, and could grow if there is a budget to feed, water, and protect them while volunteering.
To volunteer in Connersville contact "Revive The Ville"
All photographs taken and provided by:
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