Dear Editor,

Days are warmer and longer now, you probably noticed that. As snowbanks melt, forgotten treasures appear. Some wildflowers are already in bloom and ephemeral puddles prepare to burgeon with insects, amphibians and waterfowl. On my way from the house to nature’s showroom, I pass the . . .

human leftovers of the winter — cans and bottles, snack wrappers and cups, carelessly discarded by hikers who can only carry a full container, not an empty one.

This year, there’s a new addition to the pantheon of misplaced items, discarded face masks. I’m prepared, if not overjoyed, to pick up cans and bottles and such. I’ll do it because I can and I’d rather pick them up than see them the next time I pass. But the discarded masks present a new challenge to social consciousness. Who tossed them? What germs or virus have been collected therein? These questions take the fun out of being a trash-picking busybody.

I have a suggestion, the next time you buy groceries, kick in an extra nickel and buy an extra plastic bag. It can be folded into a pocket and then, when you have something that you just can’t bear to carry any further, you just pop it into the bag. If need be, you can set it down beside the path or sidewalk and somebody will be more likely to pick it up and haul it to where trash is collected, for proper redistribution. It’s a tiny gesture which will lead to a bit better of a world in which to live.

Robert Wills,

Shawville and Thorne, Que.