EARTH CARE CONGREGATION
Is Dufort Road Too Far?
If you live in the County, and are trying to recycle mixed items, including glass, you may be frustrated by needing to drive 7 miles from town to Dufort Road collection site. Some folks say they save their items until a trip to Coeur d’Alene is planned, & drop off the recycling on that trip. Another combined trip option, if you would enjoy a change of scene, and a walk in the woods: drive another 2 miles on Dufort, and check out the nature trails at Round Lake State Park. The Stewardship Trail has a nicer walking surface, but the “Swamp Tromp” had more birds when I walked it. I was rewarded with Swainson’s Thrush, Chickadee, Stellar’s Jay, Bald Eagle & Song Sparrow. Syringas were in bloom. Both trails have very informative signs. You will need $5, (state park fee/per car) and mosquito spray.
Marilyn Robertson
That’s the Last Straw!
The Earth Care Team recently became aware that plastic straws are an environmental problem that has often been ignored. A few facts that startled some of us: A straw is manufactured in one minute, but takes 100 years to decompose. Straws have endangered many seabirds, dolphins, sea turtles, and fish; they become part of the major plastic waste that pollutes our oceans. (If we keep discarding all types of plastic at our present rate, by 2050, there will be more pieces of plastic in the oceans than fish.) Could we avoid using plastic straws at home, and when ordering a beverage, in a café, say “No Straw”? If you are a “regular” at a café or restaurant, maybe you could suggest that they not put straws on the tables, unless one is requested. These are small efforts, but they can be meaningful.