[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2012/0...c0360497998.txt

Volunteer focused on preventing cigarette litter

By Ilene Haluska
Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, April 29, 2012 5:06 PM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — For nearly four years, one volunteer resident focused on the clean up at Striebel Pond to maintain its new value to the community as a nature preserve.

“I’m the only volunteer with the department of Sanitation,” said citizen Ed Pokorny, who has been cleaning it up for 3-4 years, three times a week. He said he’s allowed to go off the path and clean along the water’s edge, often using a clamp to grasp trash while wearing waders.

Striebel Pond was constructed and still is a retention pond to hold storm water. Now, Pokorny says, it’s like a wetland complete with animals, hundreds of different birds like the lake tern and also minnows in the water. It also has a one mile loop path for walking, running and biking.

Pokorny started picking up cigarette butts and after a few years he said he picked up more and more. Now he can’t keep up. He believes it’s his human intervention for the protection of the animals, so they don’t use the cigarettes as food or nesting materials.

The Sanitary District does maintain the park but only to a point, he added. Pokorny first scopes the area with binoculars before venturing into the pond in waders or on a canoe. He said he would like to see the Sanitary District enforce the no littering sign and only allow smoking in the parking lot or picnic shelter.

Michael Kuss, District General Manager suggested posting signs to remind people of the no littering policy, because it’s still legal to smoke.

“If people can smoke cigarettes and smoke responsibly and not litter, that is the first step,” Kuss said. “That’s what we’d like to do and to educate the public.

“It’s not in our expertise,” Kuss added. “We worry about the water quality and the area around Striebel Pond.”

Pokorny researched resolutions and policies on smoking in parks nationwide. He called it “progressive,” and said people are getting on the bandwagon to prevent secondary smoke to flipping cigarettes butts in nature areas.

The volunteer suggests smokers “field strip” the cigarette butt, which began in the military to leave nothing behind. To “field strip,” use your fingertips and quickly roll the cigarette to disperse the ashes and paper, then take the filter and put it in your pocket to later throw it away, he said.