The river flows day and night. From high to low it makes its way through here and there, doing this and that.
Sometimes a trickle, sometimes a torrent. The river rises and collects extra passengers. Unwanted passengers like farm waste, agricultural plastic wrap, bales of hay. Things we have discarded like plastic bottles, road cones, aluminium cans and glass bottles. Things discharged from our water treatment works like sanitary towels and wipes.
Quite often you’re not, you’re just not aware of rubbish along the rivers. It silently floats past and into the distance and out of sight. Sometimes.
Look closer, it’s trapped. Below your feet, when you’re standing on the riverbank you probably can’t see it. Cast your eyes to the other side, see it now?
Filtered out by the branches that hang low over the water, that provide habitat for the animals that live along there.
You see you really have to get in the river to clear it. And that’s not easy. Often overgrown, muddy, slippery. Inaccessible due to the branches. Low, low hanging trees. Fast moving current.
It takes a fair amount of commitment, because it’s a fast flowing river. Cold in the winter, windy. Yes, and wet.
It is challenging to know what to do in the midst of an environmental crisis. It keeps coming at you day and night.
Start small, start local. Start with things you know. Look at your own patch and look after it. Whether it’s your local footpath, your local woods, or your local watercourse.
Set an example for other people. People see what you’re doing, they might join in. People join in. You create a community of like minded people, your community becomes a movement. Just because you have done something.
Suddenly your tale is making an impact.