Allegheny River and Watershed Cleanup celebrates its sweet 16 this year.
For more than a decade and a half, family, friends and the community have gathered to clean various locations along the Allegheny River near Warren. Since 2005, nearly 5,500 volunteers have donated more than 48,000 hours removing trash from the watershed. They have pulled out television sets, microwave ovens, lawn chairs, refrigerators, 55-gallon drums, more than 17,500 tires and recycled almost 160,000 pounds of metal! Countless bags have been filled with recyclable metal, glass, plastic and aluminum.
Set to take place today through Saturday, this year’s cleanup celebrates a significant milestone as the Allegheny River has been named Pennsylvania’s 2024 River of the Year. As in years past, this year’s event is part of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Pick Up Pennsylvania initiative, which encourages community cleanups across the state. Pick Up Pennsylvania provides free trash bags, gloves and safety vests to volunteers for events held from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30. This collaboration underscores the importance of statewide efforts to keep Pennsylvania’s natural resources clean and beautiful.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Pick Up Pennsylvania is a way for groups and individuals to participate in cleanups happening across the nation and world as part of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. The International Coastal Cleanup engages people around the globe to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways. Land cleanups are also necessary to prevent trash from reaching the water in the first place.
Taking care of the places we care about provides many benefits in addition to improved aesthetics. Cleanups remove hazards to people, places and animals; foster a sense of community pride; and taking action often inspires others to do the same. Susan Stout has participated in the Allegheny River and Watershed cleanup for nine years. Her reasons for coming back year after year are simple: “A beautiful day on the water, searching for surprises as we gather trash, seeing the shoreline cleaner every year, a bald eagle, a great blue heron, the other regular volunteers. It’s a privilege to participate.”
“When you take the initiative to make your community and environment clean and beautiful for yourself, you also make it clean and beautiful for others. Little by little Pennsylvanians can make a difference in the health of our waterways and oceans by participating in Pick Up Pennsylvania, supporting the International Coastal Cleanup this fall,” said Michelle Dunn, program coordinator for Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
To host an event, join an event near you or to inquire about free supplies, visit keeppabeautiful.org or contact Dunn at (877) 772-3673, ext. 113, or mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org., or keeppabeautiful.org/Programs/Pick Up PA
Trash bags, gloves and safety vests are provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and the Ocean Conservancy, as supplies last. Events must be registered to receive free supplies.
