“It’s an ill bird that fouls its own nest.”

We can’t be sure who originated this saying, but we know that it applies totally to the problem of litter in our community. Every winter rainfall floats truckloads of discarded bags, bottles and papers to the top of our ditches. Every tide from a northeaster strands a kaleidoscope of man’s detritus on our shorelines.

Some of our fellow humans threw out this mess, fouling the nest that we all live in.

Not only is the debris unsightly—in addition its plastics are harmful and indigestible to wild animals that ingest it.

Annual spring cleanups in Gloucester and Mathews take place in the next two weeks, giving some of us an organized opportunity to clean up after the rest of us.

Gloucester cleanup

Clean Gloucester Day, the 12th annual, is part of the county’s preparation for the Daffodil Festival, to be held the weekend of April 2.

Groups can select a cleanup location, or one can be assigned. Participants can drop off their c...