Bear Walker Crew Day - Cleanup Edition

By: Thom Kilgor

This past week we took part in a bit of community service in the form of a somewhat impromptu trash pickup at a local municipal park. This spot, about a half mile from our headquarters is known as "Gator Alley", a locally famous boardwalk set up in our town to allow visitors to get an up close view of alligators in their native environment. Early afternoon we closed down production for the day and convened in the boardwalk parking lot, gathering our bags and gloves to beautify the landscape of this very charming little park. It was an unseasonably warm February day with full sun, pleasant to the skin as the beckoning of early spring, perfect for such a group outing. 

At first it seemed as though perhaps the city workers had already taken care of our job as the first leg of our walk led several of us to comment on the lack of obvious trash in our immediate vicinity. As we proceeded further down the boardwalk and more of us deviated from the path in front of us, the more it became clear that indeed this was no small task. Just off the beaten path, the park was littered with beer cans and soda bottles and cigarette butts and all the things one might expect to find in the bushes under an overpass. There were even some unexpected surprises such as a full satellite antenna discarded at the water's edge and the rim of a very large tire.

By the end of a walk, the heat had started to take its toll on us, and many of us had filled our trash bags completely. As we made our way back to our vehicles, a lot of people expressed genuine happiness at the difference we'd been able to make in a relatively short amount of time. I have to admit it did feel rewarding to gather up so much waste together with everyone. Moments like that can be so clarifying in terms of maintaining solidarity and a positive outlook. It's so easy to become cynical about one's ability to make any kind of positive change or convince oneself that contributions won't be enough to matter in the long run. This is of course absurd, a way of shielding ourselves from how much our choices really do matter. It can be immensely empowering to take that first step and actually do the work of making that difference happen. 

Sunshine, fresh air, and connections to those in our social circles are vital to our health and flourishing. We believe strongly in the importance of community and that part of a strong team lies in shared responsibility towards one another and towards the larger world of which we are a part.