Pueblo West residents are tackling the town’s littering problem on their own.
Matthew Parker, for one, thought Pueblo West was the perfect spot for his new home until he started seeing too much trash everywhere.
"(I) moved out here for the open space, for the views and trash was not something i was looking forward to," Parker said.
The more he looked, the more he found.
"All along the side of the road and in the parks, it’s in the open space."
So, he got to work, covering mile-long stretches of road and finding items from construction debris to beer bottles and even dispensary containers.
But he needed help.
So he took to social media to join other community members in their clean-up efforts and made a name for himself along the way.
"I had no idea he was going to take it upon himself but that’s pretty awesome," said Shannon Pulsifer, the founder of the Facebook group Cleaning Up PW.
"The more people that live here in the community can do that, this place would be pretty cleaned up."
As their movement grows online, Parker hopes he sees more people in Pueblo West outside.
"I’d like for this community to get together and open their eyes, look around and see that the trash is a problem out here," Parker added.
On April 21st, Pueblo West Parks and Rec will be hosting the 9th Annual Trail and Easements Cleanup.
A spokesperson for Pueblo West Parks and Rec told News 5 they encourage community groups who take the cleaning effort upon themselves since it’s sometimes difficult for employees to get to all the trash, especially when the wind picks it up.
