When I go walking in the countryside, or on a beach, lake shore, or along a stream, I like to see a pristine environment. Ideally that's how Nature should be for us all to enjoy. It doesn't take much effort for this to happen. Education is important and so too is wealth.

A wealthy society can afford to maintain a clean environment. In third world countries, the populace has as it's first priority to find food and shelter for the family and so survive. Whether the surrounding countryside looks like a garbage dump is of no immediate consequence to the inhabitants.

In the Western world we are now pretty good at keeping our countryside tidy. I can speak for Australia (where I live), New Zealand and the USA. Most of us have evolved into being responsible environmentalists. You don't have to be a member of a Green organization to be a environmentalist! It is just plain common sense.

In Australia once a year we have "Clean Up Australia Day", where many organizations and vast numbers of people descend upon the countryside and gather up any rubbish found and it is taken to the tip. What enthusiasm there is to do this! What a difference it makes to the environment!

This idea is catching on around the world. I am a freshwater angler and therefore l Iike to explore streams and lakes full of fish (hopefully). It annoys me to see a stream or lake cluttered with human flotsam and jetsam and polluted.

One of my favorite countries to travel in is Guatemala. I always spend time in the Central Highlands around Lago Atitlan and especially to hole up awhile in San Pedro which is a fascinating lake shore village. I could stay there for ever .... or at least a few weeks anyway!

The local Indians are of Mayan origin. The women take their clothes to wash down to the lake shore, early in the morning or in the evening. They have their special rocks where they pound away with soap and lather to clean the family clothes. It is a great ritual and has been done for centuries.

The lake shore waters become polluted somewhat, but maybe it doesn't matter all that much as it is a very big and deep lake. Although, on second thoughts, what about possible effects on the tilapia fish farm just around the corner which provides fish to eat in the restaurants of San Pedro and nearby Panajachel?

I pondered over this potential pollution problem while I fished on unsuccessfully further around the lake, becoming more and more annoyed at all the garbage strewn along the shore. Then, I was very pleasantly surprised!

Wow! I was suddenly engulfed in a swarm of Boy Scouts each with a plastic bag busy picking up rubbish! I talked to their Scout Master who explained to me they were from the Solola, a nearby village, and that they periodically came to the lake to clean up the environment. He actually understood that visiting Americans liked to see things clean and that this activity would be a boost for local tourism! I almost patted him on the back. He deserves a medal.

Environmental cleanliness is slowly improving in Latin America but it will take several generations of people to get to what we are accustomed to in Western countries. We are more wealthy and can afford family washing machines and the best sewage disposal systems.

I shouldn't mention this, but I was amused when traveling on a chicken bus in Ecuador to see displayed up front in the bus a notice (in Spanish) : "Keep this bus clean: Throw your rubbish out the window". So around the world we are all making progress in our various ways to keep the environment pristine!

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