Is it just about the gold?

[Goldtarget]

Went down to the local creek today, picked out a nice little secluded spot and got to digging. Got the shovel and scoop down around the metre and a half mark chasing some good colour. Widened the hole and panned off and added to the jar. Before leaving I took my overburden and large rocks and filled in my hole, m not that anyone would notice as it was midstream, underwater and surrounded by reeds. My results were under par so I decided to head downstream to seek out some sampling points so the next outing might produce more colour. We wouldn't go out if it wasn't for the gold right?

I didn't get more than 20 metres downstream and found an unsightly scene. Banks dug out, overburden on the bank, whopping great holes everywhere, some older, some that weren't there last weekend. Cigarette butts strewn about, sluicing walls left erected, and broken bottles which may or may not have been a fossiker. We all want the gold right? But at what cost? Needless to say I'll back there to make amends for some poor form, not because Im a dedicated environmentalist, but because I love prospecting. If these sorts of things keep happening in public view it will be the genuine guys that do the right thing being penalised. So complaint over, during the week I'll make good as best I can, and I can't stress enough its to easy to backfill, just do it while your there so we are still welcome to access these places in years to come. Thanks for reading.

 

[Ramjet]

Once again it's the small number who do not do the right thing making a bad name for us all.
Good on you Goldtarget for doing your best to remediate for others bad habits.

 

[Guest]

I pulled about 100 stubby bottles out of a creek last year one of my favorite spots up near beechworth took all the rubbish home.
Went back few weeks later and if I had of stayed would have had to spend all weekend cleaning up again'
Funny as the first time' the police poped in for a visit thinking we were the ones that made the first mess but still didn't do anything about it?

It's not just about the gold.

 

[Goldpick]

Same goes with detecting in parks, not necessarily the detectorists themselves, but the previous occupants of the park, the ones that we usually have to pick up after . In this case I was doing a spot of night detecting, but couldn't pick out a decent target from the recently and deliberately dropped bottle caps, ring pulls etc. Turns out someone had a birthday party and left empty wine bottles, beer bottles, present wrappers, party poppers, streamers, and even a pair of shoes! I wasn't impressed, and tried to fit most of the rubbish in the already overflowing bin, mangaed to find a few coins for my efforts, but I don't detect to pick up deliberately left over rubbish. :/