It’s mid-afternoon and I’m standing in the woods at Rolley Lake, holding my portable field recorder. Every bump of my hand will be recorded as a loud creak, so I stand as still as possible. I hear a bird call I don’t recognize, reverberating through wet leaves. The Scouts troop starts yapping like coyotes. Another group across the lake howls back, creating a tangle of lovely echoes. A squirrel skitters out of the shrubbery. Planes drone above. A metal garbage lid slams shut.

As we close another successful program year, we welcome the start of a new one with new goals, a new location, and new board members. MESS (formerly Mission Adopt-a-Block), has made tremendous strides over the years and endeavours to continue working hard alongside volunteers to tackle the issues of littering and illegal dumping in Mission, BC. -- Since the introduction of new programs throughout 2016 and 2017, MESS has seen a surge in volunteer participation. Volunteer contr