It's never nice to be at work and have a handful of used syringes rain down on you while trying to do your job.
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But for Canberra's rural rangers, it isn't actually that uncommon.
Murrumbidgee River Corridor manager Tim Chaseling recalled a time recently when his team was chopping down sick trees in Canberra's outer reserves.
"You have all this arborist knowledge and you go to a tree and you start removing it, and these hypodermic needles fall out as the tree starts to shake," Mr Chaseling said.
"Unbeknown to us, it's a local drug hangout."
Syringes are just one of the common finds that fall under the banner of illegal dumping. Mr Chaseling said many of Canberra's reserves, like Pine Island, Kambah Pool and the Cotter, were close to suburbia.
"Canberra people take a lot more stuff out here because of the proximity. We have a lot more general rubbish coming out that they're not taking back with them," he said.
General rubbish is one thing for the rangers to deal with, however household items, building material and heavy waste is quite another. Mr Chaseling said having rangers spend their time cleaning up after visitors was frustrating.
"Our time could be better spent fixing walk tracks or other things people can use," Mr Chaseling said.
"From a rangers' perspective, there is never a dull moment."
He said another recent find was two office chairs and eight empty fire extinguishers.
"When you think where the fire extinguishers came from, and that whatever building they came from doesn't have them anymore, it's dangerous," Mr Chaseling said.
Other illegal dumps rangers have come across include a near-full-sized pool table, complete with cues and balls, and full apartment suites including side tables, bric-a-brac and lounges.
He said if people were willing to go to that much effort, "surely they can take it half the distance to the tip".
On a positive note, Mr Chaseling said he enjoyed the rare occasion where a letter was left on a barbecue.
"The vast majority of people are really good, absolutely fantastic," he said.
"It's nice when you go down to clean a barbecue after the weekend and you see a little 'thank you' note left behind.
"It's the little wins," he said.
To report illegal dumping, phone Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
The four finds that frustrate Mr Chaseling most:
Poo
"People take a doggy do bag, then they leave the bag there. Why would you do all that, and then leave the bag there? Surely they can pick up the bag and take it home."
Thought-provoking items
"If you go to a recreational area where there is a beach, and there is a pair of swimmers and a towel left behind. How does somebody walk away from that area leaving that behind? What goes on there? Surely somebody is missing them."
Bread clips and bottle tops
"When you're really passionate about and care for the environment, it's the bread clips and the bottle tops. What might seem like minute things, we find time and time again. It's frustrating for something so easily put into the rubbish bag and taken home."
Ordered litter
"People come to an area and have a barbecue and have had a picnic, and they leave all their rubbish neatly behind. If you can leave it neatly behind, surely you can put it in the same bag and take it neatly home with you?"
