Six-year-old Liam Walter from Carinthia was born with mindfulness and environmental awareness. Two years ago, the self-confident boy started carelessly picking up discarded rubbish when he went for a walk with his parents.
“At first we thought it was a coincidence. But then he did it regularly and also said that he didn’t think it was right for people to throw everything away,” says mom Madeleine Walter, who is proud of her environmentally conscious son.
Over time, the son’s passion was passed on to his parents and every weekend is used to collect rubbish along the Glan cycle path and in the Fischl area. And it really is everywhere. “To prevent him from always picking things up with his bare hands, we bought him a pair of garbage tongs,” Mama Madeleine emphasizes. Liam is now even adept at picking up cigarette butts, which are especially annoying to him, and dropping them in the trash bag that parents always carry.
“Cigarette butts are particularly bad”
“I picked up hundreds of cigarette butts. They don’t rot at all,” the six-year-old insists. At 300 meters the garbage bag is already a quarter full. From cans to pieces of paper to bottles, everything is included. “We even removed drying racks, shopping carts and e-scooters from the Glan,” reports Papa Ronny. The banks of the Glan are littered with rubbish. There is a cow pasture near the residential area and cans are thrown there too.
Even preschoolers rave about passion
“The poor cows. I’m always afraid that something will happen to them,” says Liam, who will start primary school in the fall. Even in kindergarten, everyone knows their passion and is excited about it. When his parents don’t have time, Liam goes out with his aunt to collect garbage.
“One time he almost ended up in the fish pond because there was a whole loaf of bread there and he was worried about the ducks. Because he knows they can’t stand it,” Mama Madeleine explains. That is why regular checks are carried out in the fish park. One of Liam’s greatest wishes would be for people to stop throwing away and have more respect for animals.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
