From the Editor
By Sue Hix, Friends of Sherburne NWR (MN) Editor, The Link
Wildlife Festival at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, MN featured a close look at aquatic invertebrates | Bruce Ellingson/Sherburne NWR
Here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes (actually 11,842 or even more, depending on how you count), we are concerned about water quality. Nitrates, PFAS (“forever chemicals”), chloride from road salt, and phosphorus are only some of the contaminants of concern. And then there’s plastic. It’s in the trash we recycle; it wraps the food and contains the beverages we purchase; and it litters the landscape. Worse, microplastics are in the food we eat, the soil we cultivate, the air we breathe, and even in placentas. While systemic solutions are needed, we must start somewhere, whether we go small or think big (see Plastic Free July). As individuals and members of Friends groups, we can help deal with the litter—including plastic—that harms wildlife, our own health, and the environment in general. In this issue we will highlight the efforts of three Friends organizations who have taken on the litter challenge with energy and creativity—and achieved results.
Making the Most of Litter
Friends of Buenos Aires NWR (AZ) helped remove litter “all the way to the border”
Friends of Heinz Refuge (PA) have taken on plastic pollution in a big way