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How to Safely Pick Up Plastic Litter

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It is that time of year again – Plastic Free July!  In case you missed our previous blog posts on this topic, you can see them here!

We recognize that trying to reduce our plastic consumption during this period in history is tough – Americans are producing 30% more trash this year than the same period last year, and it seems like everything at the grocery store is wrapped in additional layers of plastic.  There is growing concern that the increase in plastic consumption is translating to a rise in plastic litter, particularly in single use masks and gloves being discarded in parking lots.  This leads to the question:

What can be done about the litter?

If you are interested in picking up litter along a stream bank, road, or around your neighborhood, there are some precautions you need to take to be sure that litter is the only thing you are picking up.

1)            Practice social distancing. If you are participating in a clean-up effort with people outside of your immediate family bubble, than be sure to remain at least six feet apart. If you are going to be in an area that has potential hazards, like along a waterway, be sure that you do go with a partner and stay safe six feet apart!

2)            Wear bright colors. Florescent colors and reflectors will help people to see you doing the important work of cleaning up litter, especially near high risk areas like roads. If you have extra gloves, you can invite them to join you in your efforts!

3)            Wear a mask. If you are in an area where other people might be around, please wear a mask.

Wear bright colors, a mask and gloves.

4)            Wear gloves.  You should always wear gloves when picking up litter!  A pair of disposable nitrile gloves ensures that anything that is transferred from the litter does not collect on your skin. Be sure to practice good glove etiquette and DO NOT TOUCH your face, clothes, exposed skin or water bottle with gloves that have been in contact with unknown litter (here is guide for teaching good glove technique!). It is very important that your gloves are non-permeable and disposable – unfortunately it means generating some waste in order to help reduce waste in our environment.  Your personal safety is the most important thing!

5)            Use trash pickers. If you have access to an extended grabber/reaching tool (like this one), you can use this to pick up garbage and reduce the contact with the potentially contaminated trash. We purchased the grabbers that we are using at the Trust from the Dollar store.  Be sure to sanitize your grabber after using it with hot soapy water or Clorox wipes.

6)            Keep an eye on your surroundings. While you are out cleaning up litter, stay alert and pay attention to your surroundings. This will keep you safe and you may notice beautiful details in your environment, like chicory or other native flowering plants.

Chicory at Ashbridge Preserve.

7)            Wash your hands. As soon as your gloves come off and are properly disposed of in your garbage bag, use hand sanitizer or wash your hands in hot, soapy water.

Evan Hunt and Lauren McGrath social distanced and ready to clean up the stream!

8)            Properly dispose of your collected litter. Check with your local municipality’s recycling and hazardous waste ordinances.

9)            Celebrate your efforts! Every clean-up effort should be celebrated with pictures, a hearty snack and a delicious cold drink to rehydrate after working hard in the July weather!

As always, when you are in the outdoors, remember to check the weather for any rain or excessive heat warning and plan accordingly (you might want to plan on going out in the cooler mornings or evenings), be mindful of boundaries and do not trespass, and drink plenty of water!

Have you picked up garbage during the pandemic? Send your pictures and tips to land@wctrust.org.

Plastic Free July Tips

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Welcome to another year of Plastic Free July! To say that this year is a little unusual would be an understatement, but even with all of the world events taking place, single use plastic remains a major threat to the health of our world.  Even though things are a little different than last year, there are still a number of ways that we can work to reduce our single use plastic consumption!

A good first step is to pick something small to focus on – trying to solve the world’s plastic crisis all at once will feel overwhelming so try to identify single use items that you can replace with reusable options. 

For example, switching single use surgical masks for fabric masks that can be washed and reused is a great way to not only reduce our waste, but to make sure that the front line workers have the equipment they need.  If you are crafty, you can make your own masks, and personalize them to showcase your personality.

If your grocery store does not allow any reusable bags to be used in the store, you can ask that items be placed back into your basket or cart rather than in bags, and you can place your purchased items in bags back at your car. This way, you can ensure the safety of the staff while still reducing the number of plastic bags that are used during your shopping trip.

Cutting back on eating out is a good way to reduce the amount of plastic that is being consumed.  Did you know that food delivery companies like GrubHub saw huge jumps in revenue this year? While I personally loved being able to get my favorite food delivered to my door, I did notice the big increase in non-recyclable plastics in my garbage can. Currently, eating at restaurants is not much better, with the the Center for Disease Control (CDC ) recommending all restaurants to use disposable plates, cups, utensils and even single use condiment packets. This produces far more waste than pre-pandemic dining out, but is considered necessary to reduce the chance of restaurant staff coming into contact with contaminated surfaces.  Set a goal to cook from home more often – maybe even try making your favorite restaurant’s signature dish!

Use reusable water bottles. Switching to a reusable water bottle can save thousands of single use plastic bottles from entering our waterways each year, and it reduces the amount of plastic that you are consuming.  Reusable containers like water bottles or coffee mugs are easy to sterilize and safe to use, with a recent study showing that the coronavirus survives for longer periods of time on plastics than on glass. Hot water and soap are enough to sterilize reusable bottles, so be sure to practice good hygiene and to wash your containers (and your hands) frequently!

Most importantly, remember that every action makes a difference. How are you focusing on reducing your single use plastic? Send us an email and let us know!

Learn more about the Plastic Free July Movement here: Plasticfreejuly.org

WATCH Benefits of Composting and Living a Low Waste Lifestyle

As Plastic Free July wraps up we invite you to reflect on the lessons, experiences, and efforts to go “low waste” during Plastic Free July. Lauren McGrath, Watershed Program Director, will be joined by guest expert Gwenn Nolan of Mother Compost (www.mothercompost.com) to share information about how composting provides environmental benefits, tips for composting at home and waste solutions.

Plastic Free July in the Age of COVID-19

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As we launch into Plastic Free July, we find it particularly challenging in the presence of COVID-19, when retailers seem to be employing more single use plastics than ever. Watch this video presentation by Lauren McGrath, Willistown Conservation Trust’s Director of Watershed Protection, in a conversation about how you can decrease your plastic consumption while staying safe, including a community discussion around different ways to reduce consumption through smarter shopping and extending the shelf life of what you purchase. This online presentation was originally presented on July 1, 2020.

Troubled Times – Striving for a Better Future

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Dear Friends,

In the aftermath of the horrific murder of George Floyd, my heart aches for his family, for the Black community that he represents, and for the systemic racism that persists in America that enable such tragedies to continue to happen – to include the senseless murders of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

As individuals we can strive to make a difference by using our voices, our solidarity with peaceful protesters against police brutality, and our votes.

As an organization, we ask ourselves what the Willistown Conservation Trust can do to help heal the wounds of years of injustices and inequality that pervade our society. We recognize that we and the land trust community need to do better in taking up this challenge.

I believe that there is a lot more we can do to make a difference, and that with meaningful actions we will be not only helping the healing process but will be making our organization and the land trust movement stronger. Historically, the conservation of land and nature has been enjoyed primarily by the white segment of our society. We have had the privilege of feeling safe and free in nature while others feel threatened – as was evidenced by the experience of Christian Cooper, a Black birder who, on the same day as George Floyd’s murder, was falsely accused of violence while birding in Central Park.

We must strive to make our land, our natural resources and all of our programs, from Community Farm to Bird Conservation to Habitat and Watershed Protection, more widely accessible and welcoming to all. The opportunities for sharing and inclusion are many, and we pledge to renew our commitment to this goal, starting now.

As a first step toward developing a positive and intentional path forward we have begun to form a volunteer working group to address this complicated issue – starting with an introspective look at our own practices. The group will consist of staff, Trustees, and volunteers to include those who are passionate about the issues of Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Diversity in the conservation movement. We will share our progress with you in the next six months.

If you are interested in joining the conversation, please send me an email with your thoughts. All voices are welcome as we work together on this important topic.

With hope for a better future in these troubled times, I look forward to hearing from you.

Gratefully,

Bonnie Van Alen
President and Executive Director

Rain Gardens – Digging Deeper

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Rain gardens are popping up everywhere. You will find them on college campuses and office parks, in mall parking lots, along city streets and multiuse trails. They have grown in popularity over the last several years, in response to the many problems stormwater causes in the landscape.

When it rains – especially a heavy rain – we see flooding, erosion, and pollution from stormwater runoff. Just the first inch of rain during a storm collectively does the most harm.

The good news is local use of rain gardens (even on your own property!) can help to reduce flooding, erosion, and pollution over a broad region.

The Benefits of a Rain Garden

A rain garden on your property provides numerous benefits, including:

  • Intercepting water and provide habitat for birds and wildlife
  • Reducing stormwater runoff by 30% compared to a traditional turf lawn
  • Adding natural beauty

It is not just another garden bed and does not need to be limited to perennial wildflowers and grasses. Shrubs and trees can also be used in rain gardens to achieve increased absorption, retention, and beauty.

Planning Your Rain Garden

When planning a rain garden, you need to determine what is known as the infiltration rate of your soil, or how quickly water drains through it. This will indicate whether your soils can support a rain garden. You can test it yourself in 4 easy steps:

  1. Dig a hole 1’  deep, being careful not to disturb the sides or compact the soil in the hole.
  2. Pour 444 mL (1”) of water into the hole and let it drain completely
  3. Fill the hole with water again and place a ruler in the center flush with the bottom to measure the depth
  4. Wait 15 minutes, measure the water depth again then multiply the result by four to determine the infiltration rate. Rates of .5 to 8 inches in an hour are sufficient for rain gardens.

Next, consider the location and size of the rain garden.  The Philadelphia Water Department recommends sizing your rain garden to be 20-30% of your impervious surfaces (roof, driveways, patios, and walkways).  The rain garden should be a minimum of ten feet away from the foundation of your house and your property line and in the lowest spot of the yard. The area should have a 1% slope away from your house for proper drainage. The rain garden will need either an outflow or a drain for larger storm events to prevent flooding. Make sure that the direction of the discharge is away from your house and your neighbor’s property.

When digging the rain garden, if your soil is rich with organic matter, two to three inches of depth will be sufficient. If it’s not and you need to amend it, dig down five to six inches and add compost. Always use PA 1-Call  before you dig, to make sure you are clear of unseen obstacles underground.  Taper the edges of the rain garden toward the center to prevent erosion. 

Purple coneflower is a great choice for a raingarden.

Selecting Plants

And now for the exciting part: deciding what to plant. The funny thing about a rain garden is that most of the time, it is dry! While you might think wetland plants would be best, floodplain plants that can handle periods of inundation and drought are actually ideal. Basically, a rain garden functions like a small floodplain where water can stop, slow down, infiltrate into the soil and be absorbed by plant roots. The next question to ask is what plants are common to floodplains?

Depending on the size of your rain garden, planting a tree in it might not make sense. But if it does, a tree can be a fantastic focal point. In our region, you have a variety of native choices:

  • canopy trees: red and silver maples, sycamore, river birch, pin oak, swamp white oak, and black gum. 
  • understory: black willow and sweet-bay magnolia

Bald cypress is a great southern species, too. As our area continues to warm up, using more southerly species may be a way to increase the long term vitality of your landscape.

The shrub layer of floodplains offer a rich palette of plants from which to choose. Highbush blueberry, red chokeberry, and black chokeberry look lovely and provide edible fruit. Buttonbush, arrowwood, winterberry holly, ninebark, meadowsweet, sweet pepperbush, possumhaw, red twig and silky dogwoods offer a variety of color, texture and seasonal interest to round out a rain garden. Once established, shrubs require minimal maintenance.

Thinking of your rain garden as a habitat with niches to fill can help guide design and plant selection. Plan on a variety of heights and moisture tolerances between the center and edges. Plant low growing cool season bunch grasses for early season cover, wildflowers for summer color, and shrubs for height and fruit.

Whether you plant trees, shrubs, wildflowers, or grasses, rain gardens can provide beauty, functionality, and habitat for your landscape. Dig deeper and decide for yourself what type of rain garden fits your landscape and start helping your community by reducing stormwater runoff at home. Many small actions can really make a difference.

Willistown Conservation Trust’s Rushton Conservation Center features a rain garden designed by Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects. It is includes sweetbay magnolia and sweet pepperbush. A variety of wildflowers and grasses were planted as plugs and seed. Swamp milkweed, butterfly weed, purple coneflower, bee balm, beardtongue, mountain mint, and asters fill the basin with seasonal color and attract pollinators all summer long. The circular driveway around the rain garden is pitched inwards to drain runoff during storms. A surface drain in the rain garden directs overflow to a nearby underground stormwater basin.

This article was originally published in County Lines Magazine – May 2020 Issue.