As the weather makes it easier for many of us to get out and about to explore our beautiful state, it may shine even brighter thanks to the work of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection workers and volunteers. In fact, more than 6,000 of those volunteers took part this spring in cleaning more than 140 tons of litter from roads, streams, public lands and trails.

All that work was made possible through the Make It Shine and Adopt-A-Highway programs.

“Protecting our environment starts at the community level, and this year’s cleanup efforts show just how deeply West Virginians care about the places they call home,” said WVDEP Cabinet Secretary Harold Ward.

During the Make It Shine event alone — two weeks in April — volunteers cleaned up 168 miles of roads, more than 53 miles of streams, more than 23 miles of trail; reclaimed 89 illegal dumps, collected 692 tires and removed a total 97.6 tons of litter. The state DEP says 99 acres of public land was reclaimed through those impressive efforts.

There is always more to do, however. If you’ve ever driven past a sign that says a stretch of highway is eligible for adoption, consider whether you are part of a group that might be interested in taking on the task. You can find out more about how to do so here: https://dep.wv.gov/environmental-advocate/reap/aah/Pages/default.aspx.

No one should be jarred out of the reverie that comes from a drive on our scenic highways or walk on our incredible trails by the site of garbage carelessly dumped rather than disposed of properly. But if we can’t stop the problem completely, we can be part of the solution.