I have to agree. Where I’m from there’s a beautiful park with an ocean view, a paved circular walking track, a children’s playground, hiking trails down the hill, a huge playing field and barbecue pits. I used to walk 7 days a week and spoke to people. They were not local for the most part. They inundated the park on weekends. On Monday mornings a bunch of us gloved up and brought trash bags. The gardeners didn’t come until Wednesday.
The park was brimming with food, cigarette butts, intact and broken bottles and cans, paper plates, plastic cups, utensils, food wrappers, bags, blankets, towels (the animal shelter and battered women’s shelter got a lot of towels, toys and blankets) toys, and anything else you can imagine like cans and can openers.
The tables were filthy, those trash cans still standing were overflowing. Every f’ing week. I was taught to bring bags and every single thing you bring in you take out. You leave the area as clean or cleaner than you found it.
I agree. Nature is not a museum. It is to be used and enjoyed but not destroyed. People are pigs. I watched a lot of people during the week come to the park for lunch and toss trash out the window. I would walk in front of them, pick it up and throw it away.
There has to be some sort of middle path. Maybe when the selfie generation gets bored and Instagram dies fewer people will pour into National Parks and nature preserves. When I was growing up in the Southwest in the 60’s and 70’s most people went camping in the desert or stayed in cheap hotels and were responsible and respectful.
