I Love Walking in Parks but No Fires Please

I love walking in local parks spread all over our area as it’s my little ritual, a walk, jog in the parks where the city’s noise softens if not totally disappear and turns into sound of playing children and people on walking paths.

Today the morning felt like as usual, not so cool air, crisp sunlight filtering through branches of the tree, and joggers giving quick waves as they passed. For a while it was everything I hoped for, kids playing on swings, football and a few neighbors sitting on benches exchanging stories mostly ladies.

It felt like a small, living neighborhood where everyone shared a common quiet joy. But as I rounded a familiar path, something caught my eye a curl of smoke rising near the park’s corner.

At first I thought it might be someone using the coils to chase the mosquitos, but the smell told a different story. I walked closer and found a few children gathered around a small heap of burnt trash. Plastic wrappers, paper, and other waste smoldered into a thick gray smoke.

The kids seemed careless and maybe uninformed, but the damage was clear to me in an instant. Watching the smoke was unsettling on many levels. I thought of the air we breathe, the same air my elderly neighbors and children in the park playing football at a little distance rely on for their health.

Burning trash releases toxic fumes and microscopic particles that reach deep into our lungs and can worsen asthma, heart problems, and other health issues. It also leaves behind ash that seeps into soil and water, harming plants and small creatures that call the park home.

More than that, the sight of those burnt patches and litter made the place feel ugly as if the little green spaces our corporation makes for us could slowly degrade through small, avoidable acts.

I spoke gently with the children, just to make them understand first of all they smiled shyly but then they said they were cleaning up and burning leftover wrappers because they thought it made the mess disappear.

It's a common mistake I guess as we feel "out of sight, out of mind."

I explained how burning plastic and mixed waste doesn’t disappear but it just changes form into something more dangerous. I showed them how even paper with ink and coated wrappers release harmful chemicals when burned. I suggested a simple alternative, collect the trash in a bag, separating what could be recycled, and placing the rest in designated bins.

They listened, a little embarrassed and curious. I share this not to shame anyone, especially the children but because all small actions help. We want our parks to be safe and pleasant for everyone: for the morning walkers, the parents with toddlers, the students studying under trees, and the birds and insects that make the place alive.

When we underestimate the impact of burning trash, we harm our own neighborhood and set an example that normalizes pollution.

I suggest if you visit our park, please consider these small steps:

• Carry a reusable trash bag and collect any litter you see.

• Separate recyclables including paper, plastic bottles, cans from organic waste when possible. The good news is we have option to sell the recyclable items at a good price.

Our park is a shared responsibility so a few minutes of mindful action can preserve the air, soil, and peace that draw us here. I felt compelled to act today because it matters to me and it should matter to all of us who use this space.

Let’s protect these small green corners of our city not just for ourselves, but for future mornings when others will want the same calm, clean place to breathe and reflect. I will post a video soon which will explain the things better.

• Note- I will post video tomorrow