Chester woman asks... If not me who will do it?

If you've driven through Chester in the last 11 months or so, you may have seen someone walking around town pulling a red wagon, not containing children, but trash cans. Chester resident, Danielle Smith, mid-30s, has been collecting trash in and around Chester since last July.

"I was taking walks on the same route and started seeing trash as landmarks every time I went out. I kept wondering when someone was going to clean it up, since some of it was in the street in front of houses. After a couple weeks, one of the plastic items was driven over and broke into little pieces. I realized I was the 'someone.' I might not have dropped that trash, but I could be the one to pick it up."

Smith armed herself with an aluminum 'grabber' and a couple plastic grocery sacks which she quickly filled on a 2-mile loop on Thayer and Church streets. "I found more trash than I expected. It was awkward trying to carry a couple full bags and pick up more. Soon after that, I used a small trash can to hold the bag open and that helped, but I expanded my system a bit."

After she broke the grabber trying to dislodge an item from the mud, Smith added more supplies to what she had. These days she has the previously-mentioned collapsible red wagon and a shower liner to keep it clean. The wagon transports a 13 gallon trash can with a swing-top lid (which she used bungees to shut on windier days), a small four gallon trash can for collection when she wanders away from her wagon, a carrying case that has extra bags for both trash bins, work gloves, a spade hand trowel for digging out items from the dirt, a handheld dustpan and broom for sweeping up broken glass, and a recently purchased utility knife. "I've found tarps wrapped around trees and things that need to be cut before they're tossed."

Smith wears hiking boots, thick jeans and sometimes a long-sleeve shirt for when she gets into trees and bushes. She wears a reflective belt that snaps on like a vest so oncoming traffic can spot her more easily and laughs at her colorful wide brim hats. "I don't look stylish, but it's practical. Safety first." She's got water, sunblock, bug spray, sunglasses, hand sanitizer, facial tissue and paper towels too. "I'm pretty well prepared. I've been out for sometimes up to three hours at a time. Sometimes I get in the zone, and just want to be thorough."

This isn't the first time Smith has picked up trash. She notes park clean-up days at her Omaha high school, picking up trash while hiking on vacation, and two volunteer service trips to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina as part of UNL's Alternative Spring Break. "I was studying in South America when Katrina hit in 2005. It was surreal to watch the footage presented as international news." Her involvement in clean-up efforts brought her to the Gulf six months after Katrina in 2006 and again a year and a half after Katrina in 2007. "Even after that much time had passed, some places looked like the hurricane had just happened. It was pretty devastating."

It was shortly after, in 2008, when Smith found herself in Superior, attending a Screenwriting Colony led by Nebraska-born Lew Hunter, UCLA Chair Emeritus and Emmy Nominee. "It was absolute heaven, being able to take time away from the real world for two weeks and focus on writing. Lew and Pamela are amazing."

When she returned to the writer's retreat in 2012, she had no idea she was meeting her future husband, Andrew Wassom. They started dating in 2013, and in 2014 she moved to Chester to be with him. They married in Superior in May 2019 in the backyard gazebo of the Colony house, known as the Day House. "It was really special to get married where we met. A perfect story, right?"

Smith and Wassom thrive on good stories and still pursue screenwriting from their home in Chester. Both have won awards and nominations in screenplay contests around the country. "Our house is a little different on the inside with lots of movie posters and memorabilia. We get a lot of writing done and hope our efforts pay off in the future. We'd love to see our screenplays become movies. Fingers crossed."

When Smith isn't writing or doing her day job remotely from home, she may be outside stretching her legs, collecting trash and getting noticed by people in Chester. "People wave a little extra in thanks when they drive by. It's frustrating to see so much trash out there so it's a nice boost when people stop and give me encouragement. One time a woman and her grandchildren were biking towards me and I heard the children say, 'It's the Trash Lady!' That made me laugh. The woman told them my name and they greeted me. It was a nice exchange. I'd like to believe when people see me, they might think about taking extra care with their trash, or picking up something when they can."

If someone is interested in cleaning up, Smith notes they don't have to go to the lengths she has. "From what I've seen from highway pickup, the minimum you need is a grabber, a sack, and gloves. Since I'm staying around Chester, a wagon helps me. Once I get three large bags full of trash though, I have no more space in the trash wagon and it's a balancing act to get it all back to the dump site." She muses that a golf cart or small utility vehicle might be a bit more efficient, but doesn't fold up so nicely for storage in the garage. One of her mottos is 'Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.'

Smith knows others are doing what they can where they are and created an online group on Facebook to connect with them. She called it 'Trash Collectors, Earth Protectors'. Smith encourages her friends to "invite like-minded pals" and is pleased when people from around the world join the group. "Right now it's a small group, but besides local pals and people in the U.S., we've got members from Canada, India and Pakistan. It's so great to get the sense that people around the world care about the same thing."

In the group, Smith posts pictures of the trash she finds, flowers or animal prints in the mud encouraging people to do the same. She gets enjoyment out of being in nature and is glad when others do too. "One of my friends in the group collected trash in honor of my birthday and that was so special. My cousin posts pictures of trash he cleans up at campsites he visits. Other members have posted pictures of their children involved in clean-up. I just love seeing it."

Smith notes some people go a lot further than she does. "There's an awesome person who has a Facebook page called 'Creek Runner 242'. He cleans up trash from waterways in his area, finding stuff like carpets, tires, Christmas trees. He weighs his items, teams up with other 'trash warriors' as he calls them, and has retrieved more than

10,000 pounds of junk in a year. He even sorts, rinses and recycles items and he fashions some finds into art he'll sell online. It's amazing how driven some people can be." Smith notes she recycles her own items at home, but takes the trash collected around town directly to the Chester dump. "I figure I'm doing what I can just by picking up trash. I've got to have limits."

Smith said she has to make a point to just go on regular walks without her wagon and gear, but still notices trash. "I have to battle the guilt a little bit and I make a mental note to come back for it, but sometimes I just need a short stint of exercise and fresh air."

Smith doesn't estimate how often she goes out. "It's possible I average once every week or two, but really it's when the mood strikes, I have time, and the weather agrees." She's collected trash on pleasant days in the winter, but is less apt to go out on the windy days of spring. She noted the autumn made it easier to find trash. With less foliage, trash is easier to spot. She recollects a grouping of trees near the end of Thayer Avenue close to the state line: "I found about 20 cans and bottles and even a bucket to put them in. I was kinda crawling around in there and felt silly but I was determined. I hope I don't have to do it again, but I probably will."

Smith said she longs for a day when she won't see trash, but knows that is wishful thinking. "We live in a rural area, so I'd like to think there is a strong regard for being caretakers of the earth and wildlife, but not everyone prioritizes it." Smith finds lots of cigarette butts, beer and soda cans, food containers, and her least favorite items, styrofoam and broken glass. "It's time-consuming to pick up, but I think of the animals out there and I try to do my best." She figures if you wouldn't want your pet cat or dog to ingest it or step on it, wild animals deserve the same consideration.

"Nature's resilient, but shouldn't have to suffer our waste. I've seen plants growing despite trash on top of it. And I could probably do a study on the sugar content of beers and sodas based on what cans ants live in. Those aren't fun to pick up and I usually have to give the ants a chance to vacate before I come back for it." Smith said she has noticed a little more patience with bugs and spiders in her house because of the time spent outside. "I'm no saint, but I've been doing a bit more

'catch and release' these days."

Smith notes picking up trash isn't the only way to make a difference, and too much focus is put on the individual when larger corporations and governments have more responsibility since their reach extends farther. One action item Smith mentions is a piece of legislation called the 'Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021'. Smith hopes people will contact their senators and house representative to support Senate Bill 984-House Resolution 2238 to get plastic manufacturers to make some changes.

On contacting lawmakers and picking up trash, Smith said, "It can be frustrating and sometimes it feels futile, but I'm here, and I can do something, so I have to try."

With Independence Day coming up, Smith wants to remind people to safely pick up everything after the fireworks are done. She notes she still finds plastic and cardboard pieces from fireworks and hopes people will be more thoughtful about cleaning up when celebrations are done. "It might take your group of people a few minutes to pick up but you'll have done your part to keep our village clean and can be proud of that."