SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — Diapers, clothes and lottery tickets.
That's just some of the trash that's been found in the past littered along the Spur in Gatlinburg. With 10 million visitors a year, things can get a little dirty.
Park officials and the group Keep Sevier Beautiful are asking for volunteers to join them for a cleanup day Tuesday, March 30.
The 'Gateway to the Smokies' Cleanup will kick off at 9 a.m. at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center. Organizers ask volunteers to arrive 15 minutes early, at 8:45, for a safety briefing. All ages are welcome. Vests, gloves, hand sanitizer and trash pickup tools will be provided.
GSMNP Executive Assistant Jessie Snow says the litter comes from both visitors and locals.
"We see a lot of small litter on the road edges; cigarette butts, plastic that aren’t micro degradable. So unless someone picks them up they will stay there," Snow explained. "Larger litter you see further down the bank sides, like bottles and large items like coolers. A lot of this litter is coming from uncovered loads. So if you have a truck and bag of trash in the back, wind comes up and suddenly that trash in on the roadside and contributes to the trash we see on the spur."
While a clean area is is aesthetically appealing, it's also beneficial both to wildlife and to people.
"People leave things that are biodegradable, like an apple core, they don’t think it’s a big deal but animals have an incredible sense of smell especially black bears and they are going to be attracted to those on the roadside which increases the chance of animal vehicle collisions. Then we get those food conditioned animals that aren't safe to the public or themselves."
If you can't make it to the park cleanup, you can be a part of positive change by planning you visit to the Smokies in advance. Think about what you are bringing into the park, what might be trash. And if you can't find a bear-safe container to dispose of your trash, bring it home with you.