Beltzville State Park (19-Feb-2016)

Another trip to Beltzville State Park. With the amount of shoreline around this lake, there really is just an endless amount of clean-ups that can be done here. I began today's hikes around the largest upper channel that flows into the main lake. On my way down to the water there were several Eastern Bluebirds in the field pictured above. There are two Bluebirds in this photo, one in the center and one off to the right. If you are not able to see them and want to, you can click on the photo to enlarge it. 

The first trash items were picked up in the field. Five golfballs in total all in the uncut grass. 

On the edge of the field there were a couple styrofoam cups. The trail down to the water only had this one crushed ice tea container on it.

Much of the channel was topped with a thin coating of ice. A couple of times while I was along it I could hear and see large cracks form on the ice sheet. Definitely not thick enough for fishing. 

Some items were just out of my reach. Nothing I could do about whatever this is frozen underneath the ice. 

I picked up several lures along the shore. The one on the left was my favorite just because of how it was found. The lake must have been up a couple inches when it froze trapping this lure. The water then dropped suspending the lure and this thin layer of ice above the lake. It was easy to take out of there. I made the trash bird on the right when I found all of those items in the same general area. I don't know why, I just felt they had to be turned into a bird before they were thrown out.

With a full pack I headed back to the car to drop it off and set out to fill another one.

This was everything that was jammed into the pack. Most of it was non-recyclable items. The golf balls and lures will see another use.

My next hike was down a water pipeline to another section of the channel. The shore on both sides of this cut were full of trash. 

I grabbed what I could and before long I had already collected more than would fit in my pack. This is an area I will have to come back to and work on again sometime soon. 

I crushed the cans and plastic bottles down as much as I could and I still did not have enough room in my pack. To carry out everything I had to also fill the large pocket on my sweater and both of my hands were full. I should have had a trash bag with me. 

Got everything back to the car. Loaded everything up and took the non-recyclables to a trash can at another access of the park. 

In the past couple days I have contacted parks, boroughs and conservation organizations for help with some of the upcoming clean-ups for this year. Everyone I have contacted so far has responded and has been willing to help. I have had one set-back with the Palmerton clean-up I want to get done and my next step is contacting the Fish and Boat Commission. It is possible that I will not be able to do that clean-up, yet someone will be. Hickory Run and the Lehigh Gorge State Parks will be helping me with the removal of larger trash items within the parks and this will get a lot accomplished. I also learned that Hickory Run will be working on the removal of graffiti in Boulder Field sometime soon. Once this is done I will head back up there and get photos of this positive change. Thank you to everyone I have talked to so far for your support!  
You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash