Please consider joining us next time. Additional groups and individuals are needed. If you wish to help in our desert clean-up activity, please submit your name, phone number, email address and preferred clean-up days to Lee Pearson at WCF.WCB@GMAIL.COM, call 928-684-7473, or write to Wickenburg Conservation Foundation, P.O. Box 20008, Wickenburg AZ 85358. Also, if you know of littered sites please identify them with routing and/or GPS coordinates for future cleanup planning.

Volunteers are provided with PIKSTICKS, gloves, buckets and garbage bags. Dumpsters, trailers and/or trucks are used to remove the trash. The tradition of providing refreshments for those who participate is being continued and all enjoyed lunch after their efforts. Participants have a wonderful opportunity to meet other conscientious residents who enjoy a clean and beautiful Wickenburg area.

Should you see littering or illegal dumping activity, note the time and location, license plate(s), type of litter and individuals (if possible) and report them on the litter hot-line 1-877-3LITTER (1-877-354-8837). State environmental officials are pushing for a tougher State law and increased public outreach to stop illegal dumping. Illegal dumping will be a class 1 misdemeanor with a $500 fine plus the cost for removal. Criminal littering or polluting will be not less than a $1000 fine. So violators heed the warning: “NO DUMPING, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.”

The Wickenburg Conservation Foundation recognized the immense value of cleaning up the desert and recently assumed responsibility for the Wickenburg Clean and Beautiful program that was begun several years ago by Dana Burden (deceased), Tom Riggs and John and Debi Main. This was the first effort to continue with that program.

The WC&B clean up crew included (left to right) Dean Chickadonz, Allan Hall, Claire Abbruscato, Sharon Pearson, Dennis Orr, Dianne Poore, Alan Gross, John Burden and Dick Wertz. (Photo by Lee Pearson)

The Moose Brigade will continue its commitment to removing litter from the roads and trails along Constellation, Blue Tank and Buckhorn Roads throughout the year. Our collection of litter in these areas during April and May increased 30 percent over the last report dated March 31st. That is an increase from 1417 pieces (on March 31) to 2011 pieces by May 30th.

There is additional good news regarding one area where we removed nearly 300 pieces of litter last year. Nearby land owners have posted “No Trespassing” signs and installed a gate. The area has now remained clean for the past five months, so this is a sign of progress. Unfortunately, several other litter hotspots (including Calamity Wash) continue to be used by target shooters while consuming a six-pack or case of their favorite brew. This is a distinctly unsafe combination of activities.

Here is a “sobering” statistic: Moose Brigade has removed thirty-three containers of hard liqour since our reporting effort began. These are mostly liter and multi-liter containers of vodka, tequila, gin, and whiskey. Be careful out there folks – you never know if the person headed toward you is driving in a state of diminished capacity. Here is the Moose Drool report that ended on May 30th:

Observations

1. The worst Litter hot spot in April and May goes to the large flat area above Sayer Spring in King Solomon Gulch. Many liquor and mixer bottles, along with 37 mixed-drink cups were removed from this site in April. The party folks actually bagged some of their trash, but left it behind for the animals to scatter to the wind.
2. Anheuser-Busch products continue to lead all categories of litter with 43%. When measured only against alcoholic beverages, Anheuser-Busch represents more than 60% of litter.
3. Alcoholic products continue to dominate litter with 72%.
4. As usual, our statistics do not include litter removed by other citizens or the newly established Wickenburg Clean and Beautiful program.

As we’ve said before, littering is not accidental. Join the Moose Brigade or the Wickenburg Clean and Beautiful program in our endeavor to keep the area spotless and scenic.

The Moose Brigade has also seen more folks removing litter in some areas, so we congratulate their efforts to help maintain a clean and beautiful habitat. While we are on that subject, a reader contacted us about revitalizing the “Wickenburg Clean and Beautiful” program that was originated by Dana Burden. We were happy to connect this program with the Wickenburg Conservation Foundation, who will take over the administration. For more information, see the article by Lee Pearson titled “Desert Clean-Up Volunteers Needed.” The Moose Brigade will continue its work in our chosen area and will also enthusiastically support the WC&B program.

There is additional good news regarding one area where we removed nearly 300 pieces of litter. Nearby land owners have posted “No Trespassing” signs and installed a gate. The area has remained clean for the past three months. Unfortunately, several other litter hot spots (including Calamity Wash) continue to be used by target shooters while consuming a six-pack or case of their favorite brew. This is a distinctly unsafe combination of activities.

We have, thus far, picked up twenty liter or multi-liter bottles of bourbon, vodka, tequila and schnapps. Be careful out there, folks. You never know if the person driving toward you is operating with diminished capacity.

Here is the report that ended on March 31st:

Observations:

• Anheuser-Busch products continue to lead all categories of litter with 45.9%. When measured only against alcoholic beverages, Anheuser-Busch represents more than 61.8% of litter. The litterbugs who toss these containers onto our scenic habitat continue to be well “above average” in a statistical sense. The Moose Brigade will, therefore, still characterize these people as the unrivaled “Kings of Litter.”
• Alcoholic products continue to dominate litter with 74.3%.
• As usual, our statistics do not include litter removed by others.

As we’ve said before, littering is not accidental. Join the Moose Brigade or the Wickenburg Clean and Beautiful program in our endeavor to keep the area spotless and scenic: pickup, classify, and toss the litter in a collection bin; but send us the results of your findings by adding a comment to this article.

One rancher recently told the Moose Brigade that he removed more than 300 cans and bottles in his area after a single holiday weekend.

There seems to be a major connection between “target” shooting and alcoholic litter east of Wickenburg. We found one spot where a shooter expended 200 rounds of pistol ammo. This individual evidently could not engage in his/her recreational activity without consuming a six-pack of Coors, which was left behind along with the ammo boxes and shell casings. This particular location is very close to a road that leads to a nearby ranch. Someone could be killed in this area and the target shooter might never know.

We began our report on August 24th with the knowledge that this represented a low point in seasonal litter collection. As stated in our previous articles, this constitutes the “background level” of litter along Constellation and Buckhorn Roads. We have now added 731 cans and bottles in only 57 days. Here is the report that ended on November 30th:

Observations:

• Anheuser-Busch products continue to lead all categories of litter with 47.5%. When measured only against alcoholic beverages, Anheuser-Busch represents more than 62.7% of litter. Based upon the putative argument that A-B enjoys a roughly 50% share in the U.S. market, the litterbugs who toss these containers onto our scenic habitat would appear to be well “above average” in a statistical sense. The sheer volume of A-B litter makes these products particularly conspicuous; so, without intending to insult anyone other than these litterbugs, we will continue to characterize them as the unrivaled “Kings of Litter.”
• Alcoholic litter leads by 75.7% — a significant jump over the last report.
• 54% of all alcoholic litter is now comprised of bottles.
• Some locations we have visited have thousands of pieces of broken glass that can probably never be entirely removed.
• We added 75 discarded bottles of Corona beer from a single location in two days of litter removal. This site is adjacent to the Wickenburg Sportsman’s Club — between Constellation Road and the gated entrance to the shooting range. Hello, Wickenburg Police Department??
• These statistics do not include litter collection made by other individuals.
• Although we remove many other types of litter, we omit items such as discarded toilets, Zippo Lighter Fluid containers (people who flunked out of Cub Scouts?), cardboard beer packs and other items that require the use of surgical gloves or booster shots.
• The Moose Brigade has still not located another bottle of “Moose Drool” beer, which is our symbolic emblem.
• Calamity Wash, which is just beyond the pavement as you head out Constellation Road, is a persistent litter point. This location also seems to attract target shooters who may not realize or care that hikers may be in the area.
• We also located another spot where we removed 272 cans and bottles within a radius of approximately 100 feet. See the map location below. In case local law enforcement agencies do not recognize this persistent party spot, the GPS coordinates are: N 33 deg. 59′ 56.1″ by W 112 deg. 39′ 20.5″ (NAD27) east of Blue Tank Road and a bit south of Constellation Road.

Location of major litter point:

Littering is not accidental. Join the Moose Brigade in our endeavor to keep the area beautiful: pickup, classify, and toss the litter in a collection bin; but send us the results of your findings by adding a comment to this article.

10. You can walk barefoot to your mail box without getting blisters.

9. The rattlesnakes on your back porch are starting to get sluggish.

8. Local merchants become giddy with anticipation of lower temperatures. Some merchants even begin practicing forced smiles when customers enter their stores.

7. Pharmacies begin to stock up on over-priced medications.

6. The Wickenburg Sun begins a fresh editorial campaign against “Retail Leakage.”

5. Wickenburg grocery stores expand their alcoholic beverage sections — at the expense of the food products, of course.

4. Local restaurants that annually abandon residents during the summer season begin to reopen.

3. Motor homes with out-of-state license plates begin popping up in the usual spots outside of town.

2. The average speed of drivers in Wickenburg drops to 15 miles below the posted limit as winter visitors begin to dominate local streets.

1. And in the number 1 spot — November also marks another seasonal turning point — the date when litter along Constellation and Buckhorn Roads begins to increase dramatically.

The Moose Bridge has made a rather bold discovery: Litter does not fall from the sky — only meteoroids, asteroids and satellites do! Thus, we have concluded that beer bottles and other litter on the roads and trail-sides have an origin that is based solely upon human traffic in the area.

We began our report on August 24th with the knowledge that this represented a low point in seasonal litter collection. As stated in our previous article, this constitutes the “background level” of litter along Constellation and Buckhorn Roads. We have now collected 478 cans and bottles. For your edification and enjoyment, here is the report that ended on November 4th:

Some Quick Observations:

• Anheuser-Busch products lead all categories of litter. Not only is Budweiser the “King of Beers”, its consumers are also the “King of Litter.”
• Alcoholic litter leads by slightly more than 66%.
• 44% of all alcoholic litter is comprised of bottles. The Moose Brigade estimates that at least a one third of these are broken when tossed from a passing vehicle.
• These statistics do not include litter collection made by other individuals.
• The statistics omit all other forms of litter, including toilets, items that require the use of surgical gloves or booster shots, etc.
• The Moose Brigade has not located another bottle of “Moose Drool” beer, which is our symbolic emblem. Have patience though; we are confident that another one will eventually turn up along the road. Photos will follow soon after.
• Calamity Wash, which is just beyond the pavement as you head out Constellation Road, is a major litter point. This location is just outside of the Wickenburg town limits and Maricopa County. If the Wickenburg Police Department is not already posting an officer to perform sobriety checks on individuals who return from this area during the evening hours, they might consider doing so.

Constellation and Buckhorn Roads provide access for three types of traffic:

• Property owners (fewer than ten.)
• Ranchers who work their rangelands to care for cattle (about a half-dozen.)
• Recreational visitors who enter the area for enjoyment.

Recreational traffic has dominated the use of these roads for several years. As the cool season arrives the recreational traffic will far exceed that of the other two categories. It is, therefore, not unreasonable to conclude that seasonal and weekend visitors will continue to be the primary contributors to litter in this area.

One of the definitions of the term “dichotomy” is “a logical falsity.” For example: An individual who litters while at the same time professing to enjoy the beauty of our desert landscape.

You can’t prevent these semi-conscious morons from wrecking the beauty of our countryside, but at least you can help by picking up their litter during your journeys through the area. Join the Moose Brigade in this endeavor — pickup, classify, and toss the litter in a collection bin; then send us the results of your findings by adding a comment to this article.

A few weeks ago I was driving down Constellation Road as I was returning from a trip to locate on old mining settlement east of Wickenburg. As usual, I would stop along the road to pick up litter and toss it in the back of my truck. In the distance I could see a large container on the roadside, so I slowed down to make another pick up. When I reached this shiny object, the label identified itself as “Moose Drool.”

Mind you – I haven’t led an overly-protected life; but my first reaction was that someone had finally come up with a market for animal saliva and I couldn’t imagine what the application could possibly be. Does the FDA know about this, I thought to myself? Curiosity got the best of me so — with container in hand — I walked back to the truck to get my glasses so that I could read the fine print. Contrary to my original suspicion, this was “just” another beer.

On the return drive to Wickenburg I began to think about the quantity of litter that I and several others have collected over the years. What, I thought; if we could document and classify the litter that is deposited on Constellation and Buckhorn Roads — not to mention the many side trails and washes that we use to reach our hiking and photography areas? This idea percolated in my head for a few weeks and has resulted in this article.

The individuals who clean up litter along these roads do not do it for personal recognition – they do it because they care more about the beauty of our landscape than the people who litter it. You may be surprised, but a number of these caring folks don’t even live in Wickenburg. They are individuals who visit during the fall-winter-spring season, or are year-round residents of the metro-Phoenix area.

In any case, picking up litter is not the same as “prevention”. It is a response to blight, but it is not a cure. The sobering thought is that we are in the “low” season of litter. You could call it the “background litter level” if you wish. It is the point below which the quantity of litter never drops. As we approach the cooler season the volume of litter in this area increases dramatically. Yes, some of this is the result of winter visitors. And, yes — some of it results from weekend thrill-seekers who drive up from metro-Phoenix.

So, without further fanfare, here is the “Moose Drool and other Desert Droppings” report. The pick up area in this report is from the point between the Rodeo Grounds and extends through the Constellation and Buckhorn Roads areas.

You will notice that the Moose Drool report is limited to bottles, cans, plastics and cups; and deals only with containers for liquids. If we can develop a way to classify other solid materials (without having to get some type of booster shot) we will do so. If we had started collecting statistics several weeks ago, the Moose Drool container would have appeared in the report. Sadly, I am confident that future reports will document this product.

By the way, there are no medical labs on Constellation Road. The best place to leave a urine sample is in the doctor’s office. I believe they use little plastic cups rather than Coke or beer bottles and we have no idea where these samples are supposed to go.

So, here is the proposition:

1. The probability that morons will cease littering is absolutely zero.
2. You can make a difference by removing litter in this area.
3. You can easily document your litter removal efforts and report them to this web site before you toss the bag into a trash bin. We will incorporate your litter collections into this report!
4. Don’t fudge the statistics. Reality is grim enough.

I envision all sorts of interesting assessments of human behavior that can be developed from this report. For example:

• The number of “health-conscious” litterbugs who favor “light” beer versus the number of “macho” drivers who discard products such as “Steel Reserve.”
• Are “Steel Reserve” drinkers fiercely independent, and could they threaten the “Bud Light” wimps on Constellation Road?
• We could even speculate on why “Miller Light” is so poorly represented when compared to “Bud and/or Coors Light” drinkers.
• Are Coca Cola litterbugs registered voters? Do they belong to the same political party as the Pepsi crew?

With sufficient statistical data we can easily determine the major litter points along Constellation and Buckhorn Roads. Inquiring minds want to know.

So, if you would like to help please drop us a note via the web site and we will include your litter collection efforts.