Jane Batten is absolutely right in the letter to the editor printed at the bottom of this page. Our landscape is looking extremely littered.

Unfortunately it always happens this time of year — when the final dreariness of winter gives way to hopes of spring. But the annual West Virginia spring flower, litter, also becomes visible.

Our roadsides are covered with this pesky variety of adornment. The barren sticks don’t yet hold any green vegetation to help camouflage this plague.

So what is the solution? We hope you are.

You see, the funny thing about litter is that it is a human creation and thus needs to have a human solution. We often think about how any little scrap of litter will indeed stay litter until some kind soul exerts the effort to pick it up.

If it isn’t picked up in our fields and along our roads, then do you know where it goes? Into our waterways — a ditch to a stream, into the river and eventually the ocean. Various species can be affected by the litter carelessly discarded here, in Wetzel County. You see, you really are part of the world. What you do, or don’t do, has an impact.

So what can you do?

First, don’t be part of the problem-don’t litter.

Then, be part of the solution-pick up some litter. This can be as small as picking up around your own property, to choosing a portion of roadway to remediate, to joining in the River Sweep talked about in the article below.

Whatever you choose to do, just do something beneficial to our landscape and our environment. Please.