SOLVE-ing Litter, One Piece at a Time

One of the greatest luxuries we are afforded in the Pacific Northwest is the abundance of natural areas to explore. Oregon’s landscape provides us with easy access to mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, and, of course, the Oregon Coast. Unfortunately, as anyone who has spent time in these regions can attest, where people go, debris follows. Some of the litter is left intentionally, like cigarette butts ground into the sand or food wrappers thrown out of the window of a moving car. Some accidentally works its way out of pockets or backpacks and gets left behind on the trail. Either way, we can all agree that nothing breaks the tranquility of time spent in the great outdoors than seeing a soda bottle or old receipt laying on the ground.

Another great thing about the Northwest, though, is that we care enough to do something about it. Organizations across the state work to bring people together to clean up their communities and public lands to ensure that everyone is able to fully enjoy them. One of the major statewide organizations is SOLVE. Since 1969, SOLVE has organized volunteers from all over the state of Oregon to remove litter and invasive species from natural spaces through a variety of events hosted throughout the year.

Last Saturday, March 24, 2018, SOLVE held its annual beach cleanup and, according to its website, removed over 15,000 pounds of garbage up and down the Oregon coast. Schroeder Law Offices’ paralegal, Rachelq Harman participated in Manzanita, Oregon, where an impressive turnout of locals and out-of-towners alike gathered to clean up the beach.

 Participating in the beach cleanup and seeing how much trash lingers even when a concerted effort is being put in has inspired Rachelq to seek out more opportunities to help clean up and maintain our beautiful state. While you certainly don’t need a group or event to get out and do some good, SOLVE keeps a list of upcoming opportunities posted on its website that anyone can take part in, though some do require preregistration.

April is Earth Month, and one of SOLVE’s biggest events, SOLVE IT for Earth Day, is coming up on April 21, 2018. Events will be held throughout western Oregon and southwest Washington. For details about specific meetups, you can check out the list here.

Stay tuned to Schroeder Law Offices’ Water Law Blog for more news and events!