During my freshman year of college, I had the opportunity to visit London with my old high school’s marching band. It was an amazing time, being able to experience a different culture.

One of the biggest culture shocks — besides not being expected to tip — was the amount of litter I saw.

Londoners were able to tell we were tourists simply because of how we handled our trash. On the streets, trash was everywhere, and there was nowhere to throw it. We refused to just dump our trash on the sidewalk, so we got a few confused and amused glances when four of us would gather around the rare trash can and pull handfuls of garbage out of our pockets. It felt awkward, but at least we weren’t ruining the look of an otherwise beautiful city.

Imagine my disgust when I discovered the litter problem in Charlotte County on the roadsides. It may not be on the sidewalks, but throwing trash on the side of the road where animals can pick it up or eat it is even worse.

Fortunately, it appears the community is working to discourage littering and encouraging cleaning up the area, including inmate work crews and, this past weekend, a community trash pickup day.

I commend everyone who came to help pick up trash in Keysville this weekend. As someone who would regularly pick up trash at church and at my own home, I understand it’s not fun. But the resulting view of a clean town and roadways are very much worth the work.

I encourage the residents of our county and those who travel through it to continually be on the lookout for trash.

Youth groups and Boy Scouts should have a trash pick-up day. If you’re camping, follow the Boy Scout motto of leaving the place cleaner than it was when you found it.

The little work that’s required to make Charlotte County beautiful will be worth the results. Don’t let Charlotte look like the streets of London.