Don’t Just Hike: Go for a Plalk!

No, I’m not talking some new kind of stride or weird X Games challenge. In fact, I’ve been doing it for years and never knew it had a name. Then someone saw me and told me I was plalking!

Whaaat? Well, turns out it’s the trendy Swedish import of picking up litter while you walk. It derives from “plogging” – the mash-up of “plocka upp” (meaning “pick up”) and jogging. Then there’s “pliking,” which, you guessed, combines trash cleanup and biking.

I can’t remember the last time I strolled through the woods and didn’t see rubbish: food packaging, plastic water bottles, cans, you name it. Plus, of course, the curse of our pandemic era – old masks. That’s why I try to carry a bag to collect the intrusive trash.

Sure, I know a crumpled tissue can accidentally fall out of a pocket or a Snicker’s wrap might blow away unseen as its being tucked into a backpack. And some of those full pet waste bags stuck by a tree are retrieved on a hiker’s way out. But honestly, I’ll never understand how people enjoy miles of trails and ruin it for the rest of us by purposely leaving garbage behind.

I want to scream: Didn’t your mother tell you to pick up after yourself? And then I squat down and add it to my own litter bag before continuing my walk. In other words: I keep on plalking.

I don’t have to tell you that besides being unsightly to us, debris can be downright dangerous to animals and plants in the wild. We’ve all heard that creatures get tangled, poisoned or trapped by trash. Who hasn’t seen a photo of a turtle stuck in six-pack rings or a bird’s belly filled with plastic? Even a small wad of discarded gum immobilizes tiny feathers and fur.

But did you know that when cigarette butts are tossed on the soil, the fibers in their filters decrease plant germination? That any refuse left long enough leaches into the ground and impacts natural cycles? The unseen damage affects countless species.

So when we plalk, we not only make the trails nicer for fellow hikers, we help protect the natural world we love. As a bonus, the “they” who study these things found that plalkers, ploggers, and plikers (say that three times fast!) get even more exercise simply by squatting or bending to pick up trash.  

Which is not to say I’m happy to be plalking. But litter anywhere is one of my huge pet peeves, even more so when I take to the trails. All it takes are a few inconsiderate folks to wreck it for so many others. How can we encourage them to carry out their trash when they hike? I’d love to hear your ideas!