Is it me or is litter more pervasive than it once was? I travel daily as part of my job and, without fail, I see people littering, tossing a cigarette butt or cup out of the window with a blatant disregard for the environment that surrounds them.

A brief scan of any roadside in our city, county or state reveals that litter is a big problem. Sadly, the problem also affects the outdoor spaces we love. In fact, I am troubled by the sheer volume of trash I pick up each time I mow at our farm which borders a busy county road in Winston County.

Landowners know that illegal dumping has become a serious issue. At our farm, it has necessitated gates to prevent access to two different areas that someone has attempted to turn into a landfill.

Illegal dumping has become such a problem in rural areas that most county governments have created positions to help police the problem. For example, the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors voted recently to hire a “solid waste enforcement officer” to help address the issue.

I thought about our litter problem this past Sunday as my wife and I made our way around the crushed gravel path at Bonita Lakes, picking up trash as part of the Friends of Bonita Lakes Clean Up Day. Why is it that some people get it and some do not? I wonder if those who so freely litter have garbage cans in their homes? Do they throw trash on their floor and go about their daily activities?

Ultimately, the issue starts with what my Mamaw Jewel called your raisin’ (that mentor thing again). As we hiked through the gorgeous fall foliage of Bonita picking up trash that had been thoughtlessly tossed aside (sadly, the two of us alone collected five full bags), I thought about the characters, other than my grandmother, that taught me not to litter – Woodsy Owl, Iron Eyes Cody and Pat Fordice.

As a child of the 70s, both Woodsy and Iron Eyes were staples of my television viewing and both reinforced, in different ways, that littering is wrong. Woodsy’s message was simple but effective, “Give a hoot – don’t pollute!” That message remains with me today, as does the one from Iron Eyes. I remember the dramatic monologue of “People start pollution…People can stop it” sounding while a tear ran down Iron Eyes’ face as a bag of trash was carelessly tossed out of a car window, landing at his feet.

Obviously, each commercial accomplished its intended effect as I vividly remember both, just as I remember a more recent message from the late Pat Fordice. In MDOT’s anti-litter campaign commercial, two good ole boys are driving down a Mississippi highway tossing out empty fast food trash as they go. Suddenly, Ms. Pat appears between them in the truck tugging their ears, slapping their heads, and scolding them to pick up the trash saying, “I am not your mama!”

The MDOT commercial also reported the fact that, at the time, Mississippi’s litter rates were 30% higher than other states. Sadly, that figure still holds true. Furthermore, the data shows that 62% of our state’s litter is deliberate in origin and 75% of those littering are between 11 and 34 years of age. Clearly, they didn’t get the benefit of Woodsy and Iron Eyes and could use a good dose of Ms. Pat’s ear tugging, head slapping, and scolding!

The next time you stop at a traffic light, take a look at the ground outside your window and consider these facts from Keep America Beautiful. “In the past decade, cigarette smoking in America has decreased 28%, yet cigarette butts remain the most littered item in the U.S.” Although they are small, they are still litter and while cigarette smoking has decreased, the new vaping craze has created another source of litter – JUUL pods and vape cartridges.

This is not an indictment of smoking or vaping, feel free to do both – just don’t litter in the process. It is also not a diatribe against fast food. I love a classic Chic-fil-A sandwich, but I don’t toss my bag or cup out of the window when I’m finished!

So how do we solve our litter problem? First, don’t litter! Second, be vocal, let people know that littering is wrong when you see them do it. Finally, be a steward of the outdoor resources God has given us. Get involved with groups that care for the outdoor areas you use. Groups such as Friends of Bonita Lakes and the East Mississippi Foothills Land Trust provide a way for you to make a tangible difference at a local level. I look forward to seeing you out there in our “litter free” great outdoors!

Email Outdoors columnist Brad Dye at braddye@comcast.net.