A water heater, however, and a broken cast concrete bird bath — that might be a surprise.

Webster County Conservation Trail Technician Brody Bertram found it a bit out of place.

“If we were in the river, it would be one thing,” Bertram said. “On the trails, not so much.”

A volunteer found the discarded heater in Loomis Park during a joint City of Fort Dodge and Webster County Conservation Prairie River Trails Corridor Trail Cleanup.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen Volunteer Roberta Bochtler, of Fort Dodge, opens up her trash bag as she prepares to hit the trail Saturday morning during a Webster County Conservation Trail Cleanup.

Jim Stephenson, of Fort Dodge, came out to help.

“I walk the trails,” he said. “I want to help clean them up.”

He has a simple suggestion to give him and the other volunteers nothing to do.

“Keep it with you,” he said. “Just don’t litter.”

Sydney and Kris Williams, of Fort Dodge, made a family outing of it. They brought their son, Toby Williams, 2.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
After a short while on the trails, Melissa Nanninga, at left, Susan Doyle and Carol Breeser, all had plenty of litter and junk in their bags Saturday morning during a Webster County Conservation Trail Cleanup. The trio was working in Loomis Park.

He was ready to go and just needed a little prompt.

“You gotta pick up stuff that doesn’t belong.” Sydney Williams told him.

It was an opportunity to help teach their son a positive message.

“We really try to instill in Toby about him being kind to the Earth,” she said. “Webster County Conservation makes that really easy. He loves to learn about nature. We know that we’re teaching him to grow up to make the world better.”

As they were working along the trail, a butterfly flew by.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Volunteer Jim Stephenson, of Fort Dodge, selects a trash bag Saturday morning as he prepares to head out during a Webster County Conservation Trail Cleanup.

“It says thank you for getting the trash out of our way,” she told her son.

Brody Bertram has seen just about all of it while out on the trails.

“I had my first dead fish in the middle of a trail recently,” he said. “We find single and pairs of shoes. How do people leave without their shoes on? Lots of cigarette butts, they don’t biodegrade.”

Fishing line is common too; it just depends on the section of trail.

“I might be able to make the world’s largest ball of used fishing line,” he joked.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Toby Williams, 2, of Fort Dodge, gets a little help with his colorful gardening gloves Saturday morning as he hits the trail with his mom, Sydney Williams, at left, during a Webster County Conservation Trail Cleanup. His dad, Kris Williams, holds onto the garbage bag they'll be filling up with litter.

About 25 people came out to help clean the trails. Participants were treated to lunch at Ride’s Bar and Grill afterward. Supplies were donated by Koch.