SierraScape February - March 2004
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An interview with Diane DuBois by Delwin Johnson

It may not seem possible, but September 2004 will mark the fifteenth year that Sierra Club's Eastern Missouri Group stalwart troops have kept our adopted stretch of Highway 40 neat and clean. In celebration of this milestone, RR, your Roving Reporter, interviewed Diane DuBois, the coordinator of this program.

RR: Isn't fifteen years a rather long time for a program like this to stay in operation?

Diane: Oh, yes! We in EMG Sierra can congratulate ourselves for really hanging in there. The folks at MODOT, the Missouri Department of Transportation, are impressed! They tell us that so many sponsors of roadside cleanups simply lose interest and give up after a few years, or even after a few months. In fifteen years we have conducted 117 pickups, and a grand total of 151 people have participated. Quite a few volunteers participate on an occasional basis, and in addition we do have a few loyalists who have been regulars for fourteen years.

RR: Do you remember the first pickup? What was it like?

Diane: The first cleanup, in September 1989, took six people three hours, and we filled twenty-two bags.I had a sinking feeling that we had taken on too big a job! But actually, it has never again been as "trashy" after that first pickup.

RR: Do you ever find anything useful or interesting?

Diane: Oh, all the time. We have never needed to buy string for tying our filled bags, for instance. The roadside has always provided it! We pick up gloves, gloves, gloves. Once in a while a volunteer finds an item she was planning to buy, like a screwdriver, or even a crescent wrench. And we have found items, like jewelry, for instance, that had been taken in burglaries, and we were able to return them to the owners. A lot of litter is seasonal, like Halloween masks, Valentines, and so on.

RR: Any suggestions for newcomers who might want to help?

Diane: Volunteers are always welcome! We cheerfully provide on-the-job training and close supervision. No tools or equipment are needed. Safety is our highest priority-we cancel the cleanup in case of rain, snow, strong winds, or a numbing wind chill. You get to keep anything you find, unless of course it is returnable, and we do recycle glass, plastic, and aluminum. Interested volunteers should call Diane DuBois, at (314) 721-0594.