Butte County’s parks continue to offer open space, fresh air and an increasingly visible collection of trash. From Lower Park to Upper Park, litter has settled in across trails and waterways, raising questions about maintenance – or the lack of it.
The frustration shows. A recent Roadrunner Newspaper Instagram poll found 79% of Butte College students said trash has affected their park visits.
Twenty-one percent said it has not, indicating the issue may depend on where – or whether – you’re looking.
When does it get better, or is this the new reality?
Remember Ferngully: The Last Rainforest? Hexxus was basically the ultimate eco-villain, if pollution had a mixtape and a bad attitude. Crysta and the others fought tooth and nail to protect their magical home, and as 90’s kids (or animation fans), we cheered them on thinking, “Yeah, humans! Don’t fu*k this up!”
Fast-forward to today, taking a walk through Bidwell Park is like stepping into a real-life sequel. Trash litters the trails, plastic bottles and debris sparkle in the sun, and forgotten snacks crumble in the soil.
Every wrapper and can is a little betrayal of the lessons we learned as kids: neglect nature, and it suffers. For those of us who grew up with stories like these, its jarring – our childhood heroes’ warnings are unfolding in our own backyard. Caring for nature isn
Pick up after yourself. Respect the land. Keep magic alive.
Because here’s the truth: Hexxus isn’t gone. He’s the mess we leave behind. We owe it to ourselves, and the next generation, to keep our trails clean and protect the forest.
Waste is piling up in Bidwell Park, and students say it’s making parts of the park nearly unusable.
“I don’t even bring my dog to the park anymore,” said Jay Dixon, a sophomore at Butte College. “She got glass in her paws.”
Michael B., a freshman in the new science wing said, “There’s a lot of needles and literal SHIT in and by the water sources in lower park. Im not joking. It’s foul.”
According to a recent poll, most park-goers – including Butte College students – prefer Upper Park to Lower Park, with a whopping 75% citing safety and cleanliness as the reason.
The problem echoes broader national trends: cuts to staffing at the National Park Service during the Trump administration left fewer rangers and maintenance crews nationwide, and even some of the country’s most visited parks struggled to keep up with the litter.
In Chico, students and locals are feeling the impact firsthand, avoiding paths and dog walks in certain parts of the parks. If you want to make a difference, start with your own corner. Visit Clean Up Butte County‘s website to volunteer, or simply grab a trash bag and reclaim a patch of your neighborhood.
As conditions worsen, what will Butte County officials do to address the growing litter problem in local parks? If students are already avoiding parts of the park, who’s going to step up and help fix this?
As one student puts it, it’s a small gesture with a big impact – because keeping the parks clean shouldn’t just be someone else’s job.
As Jane Goodall said, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
To learn more and stay updated with the latest news and insights, be sure to follow our Instagram page @theroadrunnernewspaper. Together by taking small steps every day, we can all do our part to keep our parks clean, safe, and beautiful for everyone to enjoy.
