Pictures: Pafford’s Landing cleanup 2022-04-16

Here are pictures and commentary by WWALS Executive Director Gretchen Quarterman at the WWALS Earth Day Pafford’s Landing cleanup on the Alapaha River.

Meanwhile, I’d like to know what we need to do to get people from Lakeland and Lanier County to come clean up? What happened to the regular cleanups apparently promised by the Sheriff and the County Commission? Must we call in the Marines every time to clean up Pafford’s Landing?

After previous cleanups in Lanier County, the county dump accepted all the trash we got from the river, including tires. Why not these three tires this time?

The dump did accept the approximately 300 pounds of bagged trash. Thanks to the Marine recruits for helping bag it.

Also, Hooters, KFC, Hardees, Chick-fil-A, and Budweiser, maybe if you didn’t produce so much single-use trash, there wouldn’t be so much of it thrown away.

Begin, Volunteers, Marines, Trash

Shirley and I were the volunteers to sign in and we waited for other WWALS members or Lanier County people to help out but no more came. We are looking fresh and clean at 9AM.

Two volunteers: Shirley Kokidko and Gretchen Quarterman

Trash

Practically the first thing I went after was this lovely old computer that had been used for target practice. It was heavy.

This plastic water bottle was buried under some of the road bed build up. It’s been there a while.

Tossed to the road for bagging.

Brand names

Oh look, Hooters. Closest one is in Valdosta.

KFC eaters are often litter bugs.

Some sort of construction debris.

Whitney, when you lent your car to a friend, they threw out your trash at Paffords Landing. Probably you don’t want to lend it to them again.

This is not a fun job.

Thrown into the bushes. We can still see it.

Chick-fil-A: Closest one of these is in Valdosta.

Cans: Annoying and hard to get.

Special mention

This was a apparently a box of bottles and cans that someone just ditched after carrying it around in the back of their truck for a while. People, use a garbage can please.

Campers burned their cans. Oh wait, cans don’t burn.

Marines

Marine recruits. We saw them last year too. Leaders made the young men help us at the beach.

Some young men worked, and some just ran around.

These two loaded up all the bags onto the truck.

More trash

Oh, look, some left over trash from some other group, or something? Shirley and I rebagged it. Gross.

Finally to the river. Beach was full of trash.

King of Beers again.

Done

Out we go. 10 bags. Each 25-30 pounds plus three tires. The Lanier County dump site refused to take the tires without us paying. I’m not paying to dispose of someone else’s tires.

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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