Yellowstone Geyser’s biggest eruption in decades was pure rubbish

America’s beautiful National Parks have been having a rough time lately, and that is putting it lightly. We won’t even go into the damage that’s been done during the most recent government shutdown, but it’s safe to say the problem started long before that. How do we know? Because this famous geyser in Yellowstone had the biggest eruption in decades and in the process, it spewed up a whole load of rubbish. Yes, actual trash.

Yellowstone National Park is over 3,500 square miles of truly stunning wilderness spanning Wyoming and Idaho. It’s home to famous natural wonders like Mammoth Hot Springs, Gibbon Falls, Yellowstone Lake and Mount Washburn. There are geysers aplenty in the park, and recently one called Ear Spring (named because it looks like a human ear) had a little surprise after lying relatively dormant for 60 years.

Park rangers were shocked to see trash strewn everywhere one day, and not just ordinary trash, super old trash. The strange assortment of rubbish included coins, plastic cups, cigarettes, a cement block (!?) and a dummy (AKA pacifier) from the 1930s!

While fascinated by the find, park officials stressed that we need to protect our beautiful parks to avoid doing irreparable damage to the natural wonders like this one. “Foreign objects can damage hot springs and geysers. The next time Ear Spring erupts we hope it’s nothing but natural rocks and water. You can help by never throwing anything into Yellowstone’s thermal features!”

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Considering the powerful geyser erupted with steam and water reaching heights up to 30 feet, throwing rubbish and everyday objects into it just to test its strength isn’t a good idea to begin with. But more than that, next time you enter one of these beautiful National Parks, always take your rubbish back out with you so generations to come can enjoy it in the same condition you did. Bonus points if you pick up trash that isn’t yours as you pass through.