A Message for Tourists & Locals: Keep New Mexico Clean & Beautiful!
With summer vacation upon us, we’ve been sharing a lot of information about how you can enjoy your summer in New Mexico. We’ve shared some of our state’s unique historical sites that you’ll want to visit, helped you to plan your southwest summer vacation, and even shared advice and tips for staying safe on your New Mexico nature hike. We want you to have a blast in New Mexico this summer, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Yet, we have something important to discuss with anyone who is traveling to or through New Mexico. We need you to help us keep New Mexico clean and beautiful, so that it will remain one of the most magical states for years to come.
One of our readers brought this issue to our attention with the following photo:
This picture illustrates the problem, which we all know is not an isolated event. If this photo offends you as much as it offends us, then read on to find out what you can do to keep New Mexico clean and beautiful. Then, share this article with your friends and family to bring awareness to the issue.
Keep New Mexico Clean by Making Memories, Not Messes
When you’re hiking, camping, or going on a road trip, it is all too easy to leave behind evidence of your adventures. You may not think of yourself as a litter bug, but you could be leaving messes without even realizing it. It is human nature to be forgetful, so you have to make a conscious effort to avoid leaving trash in your wake. Don’t throw cigarettes out the window. Never leave dirty diapers on the ground. Throw away your wrappers and fast food containers. If there is no trash receptacle near you, then keep your trash in a box or bag in your car until you can find one. If you’re hiking, then be prepared with a container to keep your garbage in. Plastic bags, empty cans and bottles, dirty diapers, and cigarette butts left laying around are all terrible ways to destroy the beauty of the area.
While you’re making memories in our lovely state this summer, don’t leave a mess for the people who come after you to find. You may think it’s not a big deal to toss just one small piece of trash to the wind, but it all adds up to turn the roads and hiking paths into a garbage strewn mess.
Keep New Mexico Clean by Picking Up After Yourself & Others
Nobody wants to clean up somebody else’s mess. But if someone else has left a mess behind, and you see it and leave it there, then it’s just going to sit there until someone comes along to take care of it. By then, it may be a lot worse, with the trash blowing all around, disrupting the beautiful views of New Mexico. Many people see the garbage that others have left behind and get upset and angry. That’s perfectly natural, and the more people who feel that way, the better. Yet, it is essential that those who care do more than express their frustrations. Don’t let the mess wait for city employees to get around to cleaning up. If you care about the land, lend a hand.
If you can’t clean up the mess yourself, or if you witness the person who created it, then report the issue to the local authorities or call 1-800-Toss-No-Mas (1-800-867-7666).
Keep New Mexico Clean by Making it Socially Unacceptable to Litter
One of the most important things that you can do to prevent others from destroying the beauty of New Mexico with litter is to educate your friends and family. Children often don’t think before they act, and they can easily make messes without anyone noticing right away. It is important to pay attention and teach them about the importance of keeping New Mexico clean and beautiful. Yet, children are not the only ones who need to learn this lesson. If you’re traveling with friends or family, remind them to dispose of their trash properly.
If someone who you are traveling with tosses something out the window, say something. Pull over, and ask them to pick up their trash. Refuse to leave your campsite or rest area until everyone in your group has disposed of their trash and picked up after themselves, their pets, and their children.
This is a conversation that is well worth having. Many people don’t think about the consequences of their actions until someone talks to them about it. One of the best things you can do to prevent littering on New Mexico roads and hiking paths is to make it socially unacceptable for your friends and family to destroy our tourist attractions.
Do Your Part to Keep New Mexico Clean & Beautiful
Please do your part to keep New Mexico clean and beautiful. Share this article with your friends and family to raise awareness of the importance of cleaning up after ourselves when we travel.
