Buckeye Lake State Park is a beautiful place being plagued by an ugly human-made problem: litter. With the arrival of summer, people will travel to it and other parks to be outside and enjoy the weather. In addition to boating, there are many different activities to be enjoyed.
The lake has playgrounds, beaches, plenty of fishing spots and trails for a relaxing walk around the lake. People can bring hot dogs, hamburgers and chips for a picnic, or visit one of many restaurants surrounding the lake. However, with the influx of guests, there is more opportunity for litter that can affect wildlife and people.
Everyone can help to keep it clean. I collected trash for four weeks during the summer of 2022 at Buckeye Lake. Each park at the lake would take about 2 hours to clean up.
Trash could be found hidden away in bushes, within rocks, under bridges or just out in the open. Some of these situations required acrobatics to retrieve and they were not easily reached. I collected a total of 71 pounds of trash which included cigarette butts, food wrappers, beverage containers, bags, fishing equipment and other miscellaneous litter.
Litter creates many different issues for wildlife and as they may see the park as gross, neglected and susceptible to crime, which can lead to a decrease in visitations. Many businesses and restaurants around Buckeye Lake need these visitors to remain successful. Mike Curtis Containers such as can act as a breeding ground for mosquitoes but also trap animals .