On Sunday, March 2 thousands of Clean Up events took place across Australia, including in Howden.
"Recognising 'no litter' as the true aim, a band of friendly residents in the Howden community faced reality as they do every year and, armed with collection bags, donned gloves and safety gear, collected up the mess left behind by others, each volunteer probably harbouring visions of a time when there'd be no mess to discover," said Howden resident Deborah Chadwick.
"This year, to entice the participation of more residents, the Howden Progress Association (a community group founded well over 60 years ago, and owners of what could possibly be one of Tasmania's smallest halls) held a free barbecue breakfast to kick off the morning's family-friendly event.
"Alas, we weren't successful in drawing the attention of many participants, but for those who helped out, we did a good job of working hard and amassing quite the collection of dumped items and general litter.
"We're hopeful that more people will join our Howden event next year and that one day our precious island won't need these clean ups at all."
For those interested in getting involved with Howden Progress Association Deborah recommends keeping an eye out on their chalkboard sign at the Howden Book Exchange.