Hiker shares video after making frustrating discovery in nature area: 'Infuriates me on a whole different level'

Nature photographer Gianni Capuano (@gianni_capuano) used a TikTok video to admonish hikers for littering.

"Stop being dumb," he wrote, talking about people leaving trash in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, just south of Cleveland.

@gianni_capuano When are we going to learn #nature #litter #cuyahogavalleynationalpark #nationalpark #trashoickup #creek ♬ original sound - Gianni Capuano

Gianni found a plastic cup and lid littering the stream where he was walking. Since this trash was off the path, the odds of anyone cleaning it up were slim to none.

Plastic waste is a massive issue that clogs all kinds of waterways. Items pose dangers to wildlife, but that's just the start of it.

Over time, this garbage sheds microplastics, which end up in human food streams. Once ingested, microplastics contribute to digestive, renal, immune, endocrine, circulatory, and reproductive health issues.

The park once hosted especially problematic pollution. In 1969, it was subjected to city sewage and factory waste and routinely caught fire. The issue became a flashpoint for changing sentiment about environmental policies.

The area also faces threats from invasive species such as the emerald ash borer and gypsy moth.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is home to a range of rare wildlife. Blanding's turtle and the Indiana bat are just a few of the threatened species that live in the valley.

To protect these species, you can take local action by volunteering with cleanup crews, or simply know your recycling options and put used items where they belong: in the trash. Better still, avoid single-use plastics altogether in favor of reusable alternatives. After all, plastic recycling isn't that effective anyway.

Users were equally incensed as Gianni about trash in national parks.