Beltzville State Park (28-Apr-2016)

I don't know what I was thinking on this trip. I only took photos of trash and some wildlife. No shots of the scenery. All of the trash in this post were from different stops around Beltzville State Park. 

The item on the right in this photo is a somewhat concerning find. It is a syringe, and the needle which was very large was broken inside. How does a syringe like this end up in the lake? There are only two things I can even think of that it would be used for. The first would be giving medication to a large animal such as a horse. The second would be to use on humans to drain a fluid filled area. Remember this if you are out on the lakeside enjoying the day. A slight push on this plunger did get the needle to poke out. Imagine stepping on something like that. 

This pile came from along the Pohopoco Creek. It is an area I have cleaned up multiple times and always seems to have more and more trash. Part of the problem for this creek is that two well trafficked roads, the PA Turnpike and Pohopoco Drive go over it. A lot of trash is washed down from the roadsides. People might think when they throw trash on the side of the road that crews will just end up picking it up. It doesn't work that way. Too often this trash ends up in our waterways and there is no reason for this at all. Always dispose of your trash correctly, not out a window. 

On the river I have found a plastic handle to a saw. Found it kind of weird to find a whole one on the lakeside. What is the story behind it? How did this manage to find its way into the lake and how long has it been there? All questions I would love to have the answers to. 

The best trash finds of the day. On the left is the first frog mimic lure I have found and in my opinion is the coolest lure I have found thus far. The boat on the right was something different. I have found other children's boats before, but this one was the most detailed and complex and still floats.

This looked as though someone picked up a whole bunch of bait containers and other trash and just threw them in the bushes. Had to crawl to get them out.

This final pile of the day was the largest. Non-recyclables went into the dumpster in the parking lot, recyclables were packed away in my car.

This Garter Snake was at one of the stops. It didn't like posing for pictures and was constantly on the move.

This Pickerel was in the Pohopoco Creek in a pool. After looking at my fish guidebook I think it is a Grass Pickerel, but I could be wrong. If it was a Grass Pickerel it was about as large as they get at about a foot long. 
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

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