Wonderful World Wednesday
White Dog and the White Dog Army know it is the little gestures that have a big impact. It has long been our policy to pick up garbage we find along the hiking paths and to clean up after less considerate users of the Parks we frequent. White Dog gets angry when we are driving and we see refuse tossed out of a car window (or worse yet, lit cigarettes). It is distressing to see discarded fast food wrappers and bags left crumpled in the street.
To the WDA such actions show a lack of respect for the Earth, our community, and those who are share our environment. We loudly applaud and cheer when we pass other folks with the same commitment to making the world more wonderful by keeping it cleaner and healthy. Our hearts sing when a child stops to pick up litter on the street and deposit it in the bin. The guy at the bus stop who everyday gathers up bits while waiting for the bus gets our nod, too. We all feel better when we walk through our urban neighborhood and all is tidy...and we feel more connected.
Here's a story of two young men who have the same simple idea but are going to extraordinary lengths to make the world a little cleaner, brighter, and more respected...
Two Youths Cross Country to Combat Trash
By Shannon Urtnowski, NBC News associate producer 16 Nov 2011
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Through their non-profit organization Pick Up America, Jeff Chen and Davey Rogner have been traveling across the country picking up litter and spreading a message of zero waste.
Since March 2010, Chen and Rogner have walked almost 2,000 miles and gathered more than 140,000 pounds of trash along the way. But the two don't work alone. They have recruited various volunteers along the way, some for just a day and others for months at a time.
Chen and Rogner say they want Pick Up America to instill lasting change in behavior and mentality among the individuals they touch. "I'm hoping that we can create this kind of respect for the earth," Chen said. "And I think it's very much up to us youth to do that."
Pick Up America has completed half its journey to date. The team, currently just outside Denver, started the pickup in Maryland and has San Francisco in its sights. The journey is supposed to end there in one year. But Chen and Rogner hope the message will last a lifetime.
The White Dog Army thinks everyone can have a hand in this project to make the world a little more wonderful. Next time you are out and about, please think of Jeff and Davey and put a bit of litter in its place in their honor.