If you drove along Mill Hill Road during the day Tuesday, you certainly noticed the garbage and debris that lined the shoulder of the road. What may have appeared to be the act of a litterbug was actually the polar opposite.
Strathy Hall resident Jody Laing said he is sick and tired of the littering that occurs along the marshlands of Mill Hill Drive, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.
In an effort to maintain the natural beauty of the marshlands, Laing voluntarily mows the grass along the roadway weekly. This gave him a bird’s eye view to the trash that lined the marsh, which he said seemed to build up each week. He said he finally got fed up enough Thursday to do something about it.
Laing went to the house, grabbed the tool he uses to clean his pool and scooped up the garbage in the marsh as he rode on his riding mower. He got it all to the side of the road but paused before cleaning it all up.
"I looked at all the trash and found myself amazed at how people could deface such a beautiful place," Laing said. "I decided to leave it there for the rest of the day so others could see what had been done to the marsh."
The most popular items among the rubbish were soda and alcohol containers, but there was a wide variety of junk to be found, from old lawn tools to discarded doors. Laing said he planned to pick it all up later that night.
"I figured it might do some good to see what littering can do, and I just hope that it makes someone think twice about throwing garbage in the marsh," Laing said.