Lithuania picks up its trash

Unsuspecting visitors to the Pushkin Museum and its surrounding park in Vilnius on April 21 looked confused. They curiously watched a group of 60 people running by, carrying blue plastic bags, and yelling, "On-On!"

Members of the Vilnius Hash House Harriers (VH3) club celebrated Earth Day a day early this year. Armed with 80-liter garbage bags and outfitted with plastic gloves, the group, a mix of ex-pats and locals with the moniker "beer drinkers with a running problem," altered their normal running and walking routine to include picking up litter.

They were among several groups marking Earth Day, April 22, by helping clean up Vilnius.

"Vilnius has beautiful parks and nature trails. It's a shame that people are careless with their litter," said Woody Sears, an American consultant and a three-year veteran of the sporting social club that carries the moniker, "beer drinkers with a running problem."

Spring cleaning is nothing new in Lithuania. During the Soviet occupation there were appointed days to straighten up yards and parks, explained Vaida Dikinyte, 23, a Lithuanian member of the club.

"When I was younger our school cleaned certain areas, while older children went to pick up in other parks," she said.

Linas Petruskevicius, 27, also recalls that certain Saturdays in the spring and autumn designated for cleaning would also include tree planting.

But, he said, times have changed and the government no longer promotes such programs. "Maybe it should."

Ironically, after Soviet times, a Western culture that has brought a more environmentally friendly attitude to Lithuania has also brought an economy that produces large amounts of trash. Disposable packaging materials and plastic bottles previously did not exist. Also, more containers were recycled automatically and therefore not as much trash was generated.

Earth Day, on April 22, is celebrated in many countries around the world and other groups in Lithuania also made an effort to protect the environment. The Center Party held a clean-up event in Kaunas and in Vilnius' Vingis Park.

Vilnius Mayor Arturas Zuokas designated the entire month of April as a time to clean the city and plant new trees. Some thirty schools, community groups, the Iki supermarket chain, and others joined the effort that will collect several tons of trash over the course of the month.