Vent: My local creek went from a mess to a clean spot in just two years

I live near Miller Creek in Springfield, and two years ago it was full of trash and had almost no fish. Our neighborhood group started monthly clean-ups and planted native bushes along the banks. Now the water is clear and I saw three trout last weekend. Some people think these small local projects are a waste of time compared to big policy changes. What do you think is more important for real change, local action or national laws?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinson.leo2mo ago

Honestly, seeing stuff like this is the only thing that keeps me from total doomscrolling. Big laws are important for sure, but they feel so far away. The local stuff is what actually changes your day to day life, you know? It proves that regular people can fix a problem right in front of them without waiting for permission. That creek being clean now is a real, physical thing you can point to, and that beats a press release every time.

the_susan2mo ago

Without waiting for permission" really got me. That's the part I keep coming back to. It's so easy to feel like you need some official go-ahead to make a change, like you're just supposed to report a problem and wait. But that's how nothing gets done. The idea that a group just saw a dirty creek and decided to clean it up themselves is honestly shocking in the best way. It's a simple act that feels almost rebellious now.

casey_lane737d ago

You said it with "it feels almost rebellious now" and that is exactly right. It is wild that we have gotten to a point where a group of people doing something as simple as cleaning up their own neighborhood is an act of defiance. What is next, are we going to start getting permits to take out our own trash? I guess the system has trained us so well to just sit on our hands and complain that actually fixing something yourself feels like you are breaking the rules. But that creek is clean and nobody asked for a permission slip. It is a good reminder that a lot of the "rules" we follow are just habits, not laws. Feels like we could all use a little more of that kind of "rebellion" in our own backyards.