Image Credit: B.R. Shenoy
The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” — Robert Swan
I recently read a lovely photo essay on birds by a fellow writer on Medium. The writer, Bruce Coulter, mentioned that his local paper occasionally publishes stories about birds getting stuck in ice during the winter. It took me back to a moment during the pandemic I’ll never forget.
My kids and I were walking around the lake near our home, when we spotted a small group of Muscovy ducks. One of the ducks had his little webbed feet tangled in a mask.
The poor thing looked so frustrated, struggling to keep up with its family. It was obvious that the mask was driving it crazy.
We wanted to help but didn’t know how without scaring it. It wasn’t in danger, but watching it struggle was hard. We could only hope it would break free.
It upset me to see how a discarded mask could cause so much trouble. Trash belongs in bins, not in nature.
The smallest actions — like throwing things away properly — really do matter.
Have you ever witnessed an animal struggle because of human waste? How did it make you feel, and what steps do you take to reduce your environmental impact?
A version of this story was originally published on Medium.