ROCKLAND — One day at the end of April, Trapper John Mills-Emerson set out to pick up trash around Lawn Avenue Extension, in Rockland. It’s a task he takes on regularly, and cheerfully, because he is just that kind of guy.

At age 10, Trapper is disgusted by the litter, so he gets down low in the brush and prickers, hauling out bottles and cans, and junk tossed there by people inconsiderate of the environment.

When he goes with his grandmother, Leanne Davis Caires, she carries the bags, while Trapper does the retrieval. They are a team.

“People throw trash out there all the time because there are no houses on that road,” said Caires. “Our thought is that if more people could see how hard he works at cleaning it up, maybe it would have an impact on those that are doing the littering.”

Trapper, who lives in Cushing, plugs away at the job and keeps an eye on the environment, whether it is his grandmother’s neighborhood or the school playground, even the Pen Bay fitness trail.

“The reason why I like picking trash up because it is harder for plants to grow and survive,” he said. “If animals see it they might think it is food and swallow it, which might harm and kill them. Also, it will be very bad for the environment.”

Keeping the trash where it belongs and out of nature, is Trapper’s goal, said Caires. The woods, roads and pathways are not trash cans for humans. 

“He’s an example of how every one of us can make a difference,” she said.