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Philly park overrun by litter left behind by visitors: 'Trash everywhere'
Pennypack Park is being ruined by bugs, but not the typical outdoor pests: Litter bugs! Philadelphia's Parks and Recreation Department is now warning visitors to think twice about leaving behind their garbage.
PHILADELPHIA - A beloved park in Northeast Philadelphia is getting trashed.
Visitors at Pennypack Park are seeing piles of garbage along the trails and down by the creek.
"Like trash just everywhere. Like broken glass, residue from parties and stuff like that. They should 100% take it with them," said Amy Gleba, park visitor.
"If you come here, and it was beautiful, it looked gorgeous, but then you left us with this, it’s like come on now. That’s not fair, that’s not right," said Jackline Jackson, park visitor.
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation is responding to the increased volume of park visitors and the large volumes of trash they leave behind at Pennypack Park.
Every Monday, about five staff members are cleaning up trash and litter left behind.
"They’re partying at a lot of different places that make it really difficult for the next day for our people to get there and actually pick up trash and pick up everything because the animals get to it," said Ranger Sahlee Brown, Northwest District Supervisor for Fairmount Park & Rec Rangers.
"The park is a big place. We have it set up with pavilions for a reason and picnic area stations for a reason where we have trash pickup."
A spokesperson with Parks and Recreation reminds visitors to carry out what you carry in, and that alcohol is not allowed.
People who drive or park on the trails may be fined about $100, according to the department, and swimming/wading in the creek is not allowed.
"In response, we are increasing enforcement, ticketing any vehicles parked illegally along the trail, coordinating closely with local police, and installing vehicular swing gates at all trail entrances to the Pennypack," said spokesperson Maita Soukup, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.