“Watch out!” someone called as a work boot landed with a thud on the banks of the creek that runs by Kalamazoo’s Interfaith Homes.
“Timberlands,” a volunteer notes, examining the waterlogged footwear.
“We found the other one down there!” says someone else.
Everything from strollers to bathtubs turns up in this water, which cleanup organizers say is a major target of illegal dumping. They say recently it’s only gotten worse.
On Wednesday, in just a few feet of creek, volunteers found a tiny skateboard, a saucepan and a scarf, plus all kinds of wrappers.
Shtameka Carson lives in Parchment. She said this was her first year participating.
“We found a bike, trash, a lot of trash. Diapers, liquor bottles, you name it, it’s out here,” she said.
County Drain Commissioner Pat Crowley says it might take policy changes to reduce dumping at the creek. Crowley says it hasn’t helped that the City of Kalamazoo has cut its number of bulk trash pickups.
“People get confused as to when that is and they get impatient so they just dump,” she said.
Crowley would like to see the city return to a more frequent pickup schedule.
For now the cleanup aims to raise awareness. The stream got a new sign and a new name this year – Interfaith residents have named it Peppermint Creek for the aroma that wafts over from the AM Todd Company, and the mint that grows on the banks.