After 589 days of picking up trash, Edgar McGregor finally cleaned an entire hiking trail.
While most people who are out hiking might see litter on the ground and keep walking, 20-year-old Edgar McGregor isn’t most people. McGregor, who is autistic, was trying to enjoy a popular hiking spot in Los Angeles county, but the copious amounts of garbage and litter were disheartening.
However, rather than let that get him down, he decided to do something about it. McGregor decided he was going to clean the entire Eaton Canyon Trail.
The self-proclaimed climate activist went out to that trail every single day with trash cans and worked on collecting all of the trash from the trial. Being one the most popular spots for hiking around Los Angeles, this was no easy task.
It took over a year – 589 days to be exact – of picking up trash on the trail, day in and day out, before he finally completed the job.
He shared his triumph with the world on Twitter, saying:
“I AM DONE!!! I DID IT!!!
After **589** days of picking up trash every single day, I can say with confidence that Eaton Canyon, one of Los Angeles’s most popular hiking trail, is now free of municipal waste!
I’VE DONE IT!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”
I AM DONE!!! I DID IT!!!
After **589** days of picking up trash every single day, I can say with confidence that Eaton Canyon, one of Los Angeles’s most popular hiking trail, is now free of municipal waste!
READ RELATED: GreaterGood Supports GOODS, Helping People & Pets In Crisis
I’VE DONE IT!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/s4ouDM6Nga
— Edgar McGregor (@edgarrmcgregor) March 5, 2021
Even the most experienced hikers would admittedly get tired of hitting the same trail every day for nearly 600 days straight, but McGregor had his eyes set on a goal and was determined to achieve it. Of course, the weather didn’t always corroborate with his mission either.
In a post on Twitter, he shared some of the most extreme weather conditions he’s cleaned up in, ranging from pouring rain, freezing snow, high-level winds, and scorching heat. He hopes to encourage others to start clean-up efforts in their areas.
Here is an updated compilation of my most extreme trash pickups.
If I can clean up in these conditions, I know a majority of you can go out to your local parks to clean up a bit too. This IS a socially distant activity. #EarthCleanUp pic.twitter.com/yxkcltrtlg
— Edgar McGregor (@edgarrmcgregor) January 19, 2021
As for McGregor, he didn’t stop after 59 days of litter pick-up. He’s now on day 607 and counting. While he successfully cleaned up Eaton Canyon Trail, he recognizes that his work is just beginning.
There are still countless trails and natural lands littered with trash that need people like McGregor to step up and make a difference.
Edgar McGregor
What an inspiring young man! You can follow McGregor and his work on Twitter.
Source: The Autism Site Blog
