Hackers trash eco-warrior’s Facebook page but not his mission
Environmental activist William Fowler is urging residents to join his new Facebook group, aptly named New Trash Environmental Group, after his previous group was hacked in early May. File photo
Environmental activist William Fowler of Highland Haven was forced to launch a new Facebook group page in early May after his old one, Trash Environmental Group, was flooded with unwanted posts by hackers. At its peak, the group’s membership ballooned to over 700 before Fowler abandoned it.
“I was devastated when I lost the group,” he said. “I had the group since 2018, so I was very upset.”
The new group, aptly named New Trash Environmental Group, will continue the mission of encouraging residents to pick up litter in the Highland Lakes and post their findings online for all to see.
“I knew how much everyone enjoyed the old group. I did, too,” Fowler said. “I said, ‘I’m not done yet’ and decided to make the new one.”
Fowler believes the act of posting photos of lake litter online encourages people to pick up after themselves and others.
“People like to post what they find,” he said. “I think it makes them think about what they’re doing (to the environment).”
In June 2022, the Colorado River Alliance presented Fowler with a River Heroes Award for his efforts documented on the Facebook group.
“They awarded me for all the pictures they saw on the old group,” he said. “It was great.”
He was also featured in a 2020 issue of The Picayune Magazine.
Fowler makes frequent boat trips to clear the lakes of debris to ensure local wildlife can thrive.
“I found a bag floating in the water with a dead turtle in it,” he said. “That kind of thing really upsets me. Littering is very bad for the environment.”
Interested residents can join Fowler’s new group on Facebook.