Appreciate the canyon: Pick up your litter

The canyon is where I spend a lot of my free time, hiking, picking up litter and talking to people. The consensus is we are lucky to be living in the Sierra foothills. Minutes from nature yet so close to civilization. It's beautiful, with the American River cutting its way through the canyon. How can we not appreciate where we live? I've realized there's having appreciation and showing appreciation. These two things are very different from each other, in my humble opinion. Having appreciation doesn't take much effort. You go, you see, and you appreciate the beauty provided by Mother Nature. Showing appreciation is going, seeing and respecting where you're at. What does that mean? That means if you have dogs, you clean up after them AND take their poop bags with you. That means if you have a baby and you bring extra diapers, bring something to put the dirty diaper in so you can take it back home with you. That means if you bring a disposable beverage container, you take it back out with you when it is empty. That also means if you bring toilet paper, bring a container to put the used toilet paper in. Gross, right? Well, this is what I see when I go into the canyon. Thankfully, the further in on the trails I go, the less trash there is. However, in the highly used areas, I find the above items consistently. Who wants to see anybody's used toilet paper? The person who left it obviously doesn't want to see it. Why do they think we do? Used diapers? No, thank you. Folks in the canyon have consistent opinions when it comes to dog owners and the dog poop bags they leave behind. They are tired of seeing it, smelling it and stepping in it. One person even said they stopped running in certain areas, the odor was so bad. This is what I mean when I say there is a difference between having and showing appreciation for Mother Nature. A friend of mine has become aware of and inspired to pick up litter. She lives in Stockton on the Delta. The road to her home is littered with everything from propane tanks, mattresses, BBQs and other miscellaneous large items, as well as the usual trash people leave behind while fishing, etc. My friend organized a group of 12 people from her community to clean up the road, made several calls to find the right organization to pick up the trash, and within two weeks, the road was free of debris! This is why I am writing about the subject of litter. It's not a rant, it's a call to create awareness and inspire people to act. My passion for litter inspired my friend, who in turn inspired people to clean up their community. On my way through Old Town this morning, I picked up some litter. Several people thanked me. I hope that by seeing and acknowledging that simple act, they will remember it and perhaps the next time a piece of litter is spotted, it will get picked up. There can be a difference between having appreciation and showing appreciation for our canyon and for Mother Nature overall. Be the inspiration. Remember to spread kindness like it's confetti and to Pack it in, Pick it up, Pack it out. Every Litter Bit Counts! Kristi Meyer is a Realtor at Granite Real Estate in Auburn. She has been serving the foothills for 20 years. If you have questions about Real Estate or need a Realtor, you can call or text her at 916-847-5128 or email her at ItMattersToKristi@gmail.com.