On Friday, June 19, two other volunteers and I were working, planting new flowers in the traffic triangle at Pascal Ave. and Route 1.

This was our third day, having prepped the bed, shopped for the plants, and now we were planting. We quickly discovered that this is a very busy and dangerous intersection to be working in. But, nevertheless, here we were. Planting took about an hour and since no rain was in the forecast, we watered it thoroughly.

While we were working, several people in cars passing rolled down their windows to make comments such as, “Looking beautiful,” “Thank you,” and “Great job.”

These kind words made volunteering this time and working at a risky site worthwhile. However, one resident responded differently in a harsh, critical tone, repeating: “Where are the native plants? Where are the native plants?” To which one of us responded, “We can’t because of snowplows and salt in the winter.”

While we appreciated all the positive comments, the hostile criticism of our last observer left us with that unpleasant feeling that dedicated volunteers sometimes experience. No good deed shall go unpunished.

Haunani Wallace lives in Rockport