Category Archives: Litter Cleanup

This week I indulged in Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku) in the North Creek Forest. After gathering for the now-familiar COVID safety discussion, our group of five women descended dirt steps into a lush Pacific Forest, leaving behind the sights and sounds of suburbia. Judy, our facilitator, offered suggestions for opening up our senses to theContinue reading “Pliking While Bathing”

“As we clean up trash we are opening up paths of healing. What a wonderful way to strengthen our community by offering miles of peace and tranquility along our trails, biking paths and waterways.” –Melanie “I plike to promote awareness, and to set a good example for my granddaughter.” –Beverly I really don’t like seeingContinue reading “Why We Plike”

I’ve been really grumpy lately.  I moved to Seattle 3 months ago, and I miss the deep blue skies and sunshine of Ogden, Utah.  I miss hiking to the waterfall and kayaking at Pineview.  But most of all, I miss the friends I made while Pliking.  Something about picking up disgusting trash together created aContinue reading “The Pliking Community”

Today I was able to assist a hiker with terrible aim. Somehow after bagging their dog’s poop, the bright purple bag went flying into the air, and perched on a branch near the top of a very tall fir tree. Fortunately, as an experienced pliker I am always prepared. The blackberries fought back, but IContinue reading “The Flying Bag”

Every state has its weeds. In Utah, members of the Pliking Club pull Dyers Woad, Myrtle Spurge and Goatshead. Dyers Woad, which decorates Ogden’s hillsides with its small yellow flowers and can be used to create blue dye, is also an introduced nonedible plant which crowds out native plants, reducing edible vegetation for wildlife. MyrtleContinue reading “Every State Has Its Weeds”

As my friend Carolyn and I traveled across Idaho and Washington this week, we stopped at several roadside attractions, including a mummified mermaid and the actual Center of the Universe. Which I must say, is rather inconveniently positioned. Carolyn watched for traffic while I stood in the middle of the intersection for a selfie ofContinue reading “Feeding the Garbage Goat”

For many years, I was embarrassed to pick up trash, but did it anyways. When I encountered another hiker on the trail, I’d hide my bag of trash behind my back. However, since I started Pliking openly, no one has criticized me, laughed or made faces. Quite the opposite – many, many people have saidContinue reading “Picking up Litter is Cool”

It started with a boat, my sister said.  One morning, it was discovered that someone had abandoned a boat on a formerly empty lot.  Soon the boat was joined by piles of debris.  Today the lot is piled high with garbage, and it all started with a boat. I understand the attraction of adding toContinue reading “Litter Attracts Litter”

There is so much in life that I find confusing. Why can I understand my daughter’s voice when she calls from South Korea, but I don’t understand my husband when he hollers from the kitchen?  Why does it mean 6 more weeks of winter when the groundhog sees his shadow – wouldn’t that indicate theContinue reading “Idaho Roadside”

We paddled our kayaks closer to see what was floating in the water. A dead Mallard duck, his webbed feet tangled in fishing line and a clear plastic fishing bobber.  Saddened, we left the duck and continued our playaking along the Pineview Reservoir shoreline.   This wasn’t the first time we had seen a bird injuredContinue reading “Plishing and a Bridge”