In recognition of the National Day of Service on Wednesday, September 11, The Alliance kicked off the fall 2024 Project Clean Stream season in Pennsylvania, Annapolis, Washington, DC, and Virginia! The weekend was a success in hauling in loads of trash from around the watershed to stop pollution before it reaches the Chesapeake Bay.

 

Pennsylvania

At the PA Kickoff, we partnered with the Watershed Alliance of York and the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association. We had 13 volunteers who hauled 1,320 pounds of trash out of the Codorus Creek, the source of the City of York’s drinking water. This included five bikes!

A group of volunteers stands in knee-high water in the Codorus Creek posing behind two canoes that hold trash they collected.

A group of volunteers stands in knee-high water in the Codorus Creek posing behind two canoes that hold trash they collected.

Three volunteers guide a canoe holding their found trash through the Codorus Creek.

Three volunteers guide a canoe holding their found trash through Codorus Creek.

 

Maryland

In Annapolis, Maryland, four Alliance staff members gathered in the afternoon to head to Spa Creek Trail. They used malt bags donated from local partner, Forward Brewing. Together, they collected 3 bags of trash removing a total of 15 pounds of litter from the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

 

Washington, DC

For the second year in a row, we worked with our partners at Boating in DC for a kayaking trash cleanup event on the Potomac River. We had around 20 folks come out to volunteer and we picked up around 20 bags of trash, in addition to some larger items like plastic buns/buckets, a tire, and a 50 gallon plastic drum! It was a gorgeous day to be out on the water and we are so grateful to Thompson Boathouse staff and all of our volunteers for supporting our Project Clean Stream efforts.

Volunteers add their collected trash to a pile of black bags filled with litter collected on the Anacostia River

Volunteers add their collected trash to a pile of black bags filled with litter collected on the Anacostia River

A volunteer in a red kayak holds up a large piece of soggy cardboard pulled out from the Anacostia River.

A volunteer in a red kayak holds up a large piece of soggy cardboard pulled out from the Anacostia River.

 

Virginia

The Alliance’s Richmond team and 17 volunteers collected over 400 pounds of trash in just under two hours on Saturday at Crooked Branch Ravine Park, part of the James River Park System. Our volunteers did an incredible job, and included among them a 3.5 year old participating in his very first trash clean up! Big thanks to the Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities for their support with bulk pick up, and our wonderful partners at Alewerks Brewing for donating their used malt bags to us to replace our trash bags, helping us make this cleanup a waste-free event.

A group of volunteers gather around the Project Clean Stream site captain.

A group of volunteers gather around the Project Clean Stream site captain.

A group of volunteers pose in front of the Crooked Branch Ravine Park sign with their trash bags.

A group of volunteers pose in front of the Crooked Branch Ravine Park sign with their trash bags.

 

Join us!

If you are interested in taking part in Project Clean Stream this fall, you can find a list of our events and register here. Know of a “trashy” area in your community? You can host your own cleanup event or submit your site here.