Volunteers Needed For Christina River Watershed Cleanup April 18

Volunteers are needed on April 18, from 8 a.m. to noon, for the Christina River Watershed Cleanup, an annual event where participants pick up litter that would otherwise pollute one of Delaware's largest waterways.

 

Last year, volunteers removed approximately 16 tons of debris, enough to fill 53 dumpsters full of trash.

 

"This year's cleanup will take place on the Saturday before Earth Day," said Shirley Posey, longtime coordinator of the event. "We'd love it if families would skip the Saturday-morning cartoons and join us for what is typically a beautiful spring day outdoors."

 

Participants do not need anything to volunteer. However, those who have them are advised to wear brightly colored clothing, long-sleeved shirts, pants, boots or water-resistant shoes, hats, and heavy duty gloves. Insect repellent and sunscreen are also suggested, as are waders or hip boots at some sites.

 

Every person who volunteers will receive a free t-shirt that displays the winning drawing of the cleanup's T-shirt Design Contest. This year's winner was 11th-grader, Kyle Rawding, of Joe Pipari's art class at Caravel Academy in Bear.

 

The Christina River Basin is a source of drinking water for roughly half a million people in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. In 2003, the watershed was the beneficiary of a $1 million federal cleanup grant, but volunteer efforts are still essential to ridding the region of hundreds of tons of litter annually.

 

Sponsors for this year's event include the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Christina Conservancy, along with support from the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and various agencies, businesses, and organizations from throughout the State of Delaware.

 

In addition to the Christina River, volunteers can pitch in at sites near White Clay Creek, Red Clay Creek, and other small tributaries. To volunteer, simply register at the Christina River Watershed Cleanup, or call Posey at 302-838-1897.