Musings: It's time we all pick up more than our own trash

Welwyn Preserve has been my sanctuary for many years — a place I go to breathe, reflect and pray among the trees, and reconnect with all that Mother Nature has to offer. We are incredibly blessed to have such a sacred and beautiful place right here in our Glen Cove community.

I walk through Welwyn often, as do so many others, but on a recent day I was quite dismayed.

I have a special spot where I stop and take in the splendor. For the previous three days, I noticed pieces of paper towel among the leaves. I picked it up with a branch and carried it to my car.

As I walked, I began looking more carefully along both sides of the road. I picked up an empty can. Then I noticed another piece of litter. And another.

But what saddened me most was seeing empty alcohol bottles scattered along the way to my car.

I imagine some of the littering is done by only a few thoughtless people. But one bottle becomes two. Two become 10. And before we know it, the beauty we treasure begins to disappear.

We have a local beautification committee that works hard to care for Welwyn, and I am grateful for their efforts. But keeping Welwyn beautiful should not belong to one committee alone. It belongs to all of us.

All we really need is community participation from anyone who walks through this preserve. It’s simple: If you see a piece of litter, pick it up. One piece at a time, we can make a difference.

Let’s treat Welwyn like the sanctuary it is.

— Lynn Leslie, Glen Cove