Newlin Township resident Elwood Lewis, 85, is keeping the ChesLen Preserve trail litter-free, writes Bill Rettew for the Daily Local News. 

Lewis spends most days hiking 2.5 miles while picking up any trash he finds along the way. Often, he finds nothing that needs to be removed, but the amount of trash usually increases during the summer months, when there is more traffic. 

“I don’t like the looks of the trash,” said Lewis. “I like to see nature natural.”

He is often confused by why people choose to litter when chucking out the trash is so simple. 

“We’ve got trash cans at every entrance,” he said. “Why can’t people carry it and put it in a trash can on the way out?” 

Lewis used to wear orange garb only during hunting season just to ensure his safety. Now, he wears it every day throughout the year. 

“Everybody knows when the orange man is coming,” he said. 

The former UPS driver grew up in West Chester and has lived in Newlin Township for more than a half-century. He likes to hike for his health and plans to outlive his father, who died at 99. 

Read more about Elwood Lewis in the Daily Local News.