Hello Neighbors!
Please join me at an April Stools' Day event tomorrow morning at the Lands of The Watershed Center. The event is a springtime citizen effort to remove dog doo and trash from parks, paths and recreation areas before it ends up in the water. Read on for more information...
Who: You and your pals
When: Saturday, April 25 from 9 AM - 11 AM
Where: The Lands of the Watershed Center
Meet at The Watershed Center, 4783 Plank Road in Bristol.
Local Contact: Matt Ham-Ellis at 802 557 1836 or info@watershedcentervt.org. RSVPs appreciated.
Why: Because a lot of woof waste has accumulated at our recreation areas. Pet poop contains disease-causing bacteria, viruses and lots of excess nutrients that can close a beach to swimming, trigger weed growth and algae blooms, and foul the water.
What to wear and bring: Wear old clothes and sturdy walking shoes or mud boots. Gloves, plastic bags, trowels, pails and hand sanitizer will be supplied.
Parking: Participants are reminded to park in the lot or on the straight away sections of Plank Road before or after the curve. Please park out of the path of other traffic to allow for other vehicles to pass safely.
Prizes: In addition to the pleasure of doing a good deed, participants will receive a set of beautiful lake note cards and be entered into a drawing for cash prizes of $25, $50 and $100.
The Scoop on Poop
Besides the foul smell and the unpleasantness of stepping in hound mounds, pet poop is bad for waterways, lawns and people. Pet waste carries nutrients that feed the growth of weeds and algae in the water. An average size dog dropping produces 3 billion fecal coliform bacteria. Pets are responsible for up to one-third of bacterial pollution in waterways near developed areas. EPA estimates that two or three days' worth of droppings from just 100 dogs contributes enough bacteria to temporarily close a waterbody to swimming and fishing. Woof-waste doesn't make good fertilizer; it burns grass and leaves unsightly discoloring. Infected pet poop can carry the eggs of roundworms and other parasites (like cryptosporidium, giardia, and salmonella) which can linger in soil for years. Anyone gardening, playing sports, walking barefoot, or digging in the infected dirt, risks coming into contact with those eggs. Children are most susceptible since they often play in the dirt and put things in their mouths.
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