The Journey of One Bag

By Merle Pyke

This story is dedicated to Waterton National Park, one of Canada's true natural treasures. As we drove toward its towering peaks and quiet valleys, we stopped often to take pictures and breathe in the freedom this place offers. Mule deer grazed in the open fields, white-tailed deer stepped gently across the road, and foxes darted through the tall grass-wildlife living freely, exactly as nature intended.

But along the fences on the way into the park, something else caught my eye-torn plastic bags tangled in the wire, flapping in the wind. In that moment, I couldn't help but imagine how our modern conveniences, especially something as simple as a plastic bag, have made life harder for the very animals we come here to admire.

As we drove home from Waterton, surrounded by snow-capped mountains fading into the distance, the idea for this story came to life. I wanted to capture the journey of a single plastic bag-not just as litter, but as a reminder of the impact we have on the world around us, and the responsibility we share to protect it.
This introduction is written in honour of Waterton, its wildlife, and the hope that we can all do better for the places we love.
Every object we create has a story.

Some stories are short-barely noticed before they end. Others stretch far beyond what anyone expects. This is the story of one ordinary plastic bag. It began in a factory among thousands of identical bags, each made to be used once and then forgotten. But this bag's journey was anything but ordinary.

Blown by the wind, battered by storms, and tangled in a fence for years, it witnessed the passing of seasons and the quiet rhythm of nature. It became part of a fox's home, drifted through soil and streams, and eventually found its way into the hands of a girl who cared enough to make a difference.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 199786813X
• ISBN13: 9781997868132
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Pyke Publishing
• Length: 51 Pages
• Weight: 0.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.1" x 6.0"