Finally! The snow has melted and we are about to see spring flowers blossoming everywhere. Unfortunately, not every colourful object on the ground belongs there – the melted snow usually reveals lots of litter. That’s not only annoying to see, it is also awful for wildlife. Animals get tangled up in litter or are poisoned when eating plastics. In times where we are limited in our activities, there is still a lot we can do to help our environment. When you get out for a walk, simply grab a bag and tongs and go “plalking”. Plalking combines picking up litter and walking. The idea originated from Sweden, where people started to go “plogging” – picking up litter while jogging.
Plalking is the calmer version of plogging and a great activity for everyone. In fact, cardiac patients in Winnipeg went plalking as part of their recovery strategy (Link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/heart-patients-recover-by-plalking-which-blends-walking-and-picking-up-trash-1.4366871). Plalking keeps you fit because you need to walk, squat, bend and stretch all the time when picking up litter. It’s a great exercise that you can do close to your home with your whole household.
Of course, plalking together and seeing the result of a plalking session is a lot of fun! If you are in Palgrave, you can participate in Palgrave Rotary Club’s Palgrave-Spring-Cleanup-Week 2021 which will be from April 17th to 24th (Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/137233424946598). Go plalking with your household and share pictures of your picked up litter with the hashtag #palgravespringcleanup2021.
The app Litterati (Link: https://www.litterati.org/) will take your plalking to new levels. By taking a picture of every piece you pick up, you will receive info about the impact you have and can join cleanup challenges.
Once it is safe to do so, ecoCaledon will organize regular social plalking events throughout Caledon. Stay tuned for more information!
Solveig Christina Voss
Palgrave, Ontario, Canada
My blog about upcycling and sustainability: http://needleandnotion.wordpress.com