Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  Last week, property owners picked up winter’s dregs, the trash that was buried under the snow in their yards. This past Saturday, June 10, a team of volunteers picked up what was left behind in town: the plastic bags caught in the branches of creekside willows; the cans and bottles tossed around the picnic areas, pieces of torn, muddy fabric, once somebody’s clothes; glass, metal and styrofoam bits and pieces.

At least 15 people, including a few small children, gathered at Crosscut Pizza on Saturday morning, sipped their coffee and came up with a plan. Some of them hit Chipeta Park, some followed the creek through town, some covered the ball field and some brave souls even went up to the West Magnolia camping area, attacking the bags of trash piled high near abandoned tents and parking areas.

The Nederland Community Cleanup Day was organized by Scott Ptach and Timmy Duggan who say they thought it would be a good way to get residents out after our extended winter. The event was first planned for the end of May, but 30 inches of snow put a damper on that idea. The date was rescheduled for June 3 and then the 10th and by that time everyone was ready for a day on the trails.

One toddler was happy to help pick up trash but she was even happier when she found a guitar pick to call her own.

When the bags were collected and loaded, everyone was invited to have free pizza and beer and watch tourists drive by, wondering what the occasion was.

The Boulder Property Network and Crosscut Pizza sponsored the event.

(Originally published in the June 22, 2017 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)