Let’s knock it off or pick it up

Dear Editor,
    What’s unhealthy for the community, and makes it look unclean too? If you guessed littering, you’re correct.
    The trash build up in our town is horrendous, and something needs to be done about it. It’s unhealthy for not only the land but also for the animals, because of the large amount of trash. Littering also makes the town look ‘trashy.’ Just having a law on littering doesn’t change the amount of it being done. People aren’t just being careless and throwing their trash out of car windows or on a walk dropping it to the ground, they are purposely taking it into the woods, disposing of it, and walking away. Something has to be done.
    Why should the town care about the trash being thrown in woods or public grounds? One reason is because it’s not healthy living for plants or animals. Plants and animals are a huge part of our ecosystem, and if they’re sick or not producing well enough, then it affects us too. Trash can deplete nutrients out of the soil, which ruins crops that help feed us, or that gets put into our grocery stores. Animals get sick by eating trash that is carelessly thrown into woods or public grounds, which starts a long chain eventually leading back to our farms, or to us.
    Why visit a town that looks like nobody cares how it looks? My answer, I have no idea, why would you want to? Trash on the sides of roads, or in our public parks gives tourists the wrong idea about the town and about the people who live there. Tourists are a big part of our town sales, and with less tourism we could lose some of our stores. Neat, and well-groomed public places such as our Memorial Park bring people to it, such as our band concerts or the Bus in the summer. If we can keep the grounds clean, these activities can continue happening. Trash also attracts unwanted rodents or animals. Who wants rats in their public hang out? Most people don’t.
    Trash is being found not just on the side of the road, it’s being found in the woods too. Sometimes people are just careless and once in a while chuck something out of the window, or when getting in and out of the car a bag or something falls out into the parking lot unnoticed. But when it gets so bad that people are actually purposely taking trash into the woods and disposing of it…that’s terrible. Something drastic needs to be done about the trash build up in this town.
    Trash needs to be picked up around the town, if not, it’ll affect the health of the plants, the health of people, and the look of the town. Who wouldn’t want a cleaner town, and healthier plants, people and animals? Let’s get this town into action and help clean up the town to make it a cleaner and healthier place to live.
Lauren Eastham
Grade 8
Houlton Junior High School