It’s that time of the year again! For the eleventh year in a row-- ever since the very first year of the event-- Friends of Allegheny Wilderness is inviting volunteers to participate in the Allegheny River Cleanup to help remove unwanted refuse from the National Wild & Scenic Allegheny River and environs.

The Allegheny River Cleanup runs from September 7 to 14 in the upper parts of the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania and into New York.

If you want to volunteer on a section of the Allegheny River containing islands permanently protected from all forms of development under the Wilderness Act of 1964, the September 9 portion of the cleanup will focus on a length of the Allegheny including the 96-acre Crull’s Island and the 60-acre Thompson’s Island in Warren County.

These expansive alluvial islands, and five others stretching almost all the way down to Tionesta, are part of the Allegheny Islands Wilderness, designated by the U.S. Congress in 1984 under the Pennsylvania Wilderness Act.

The September 10 portion of the cleanup will also include a stretch of the Allegheny with designated wilderness islands in Warren County.

Click Here to register for the cleanup.

When you register, you will need to know how many people are in your party in order to reserve your canoes. Limited space is available, so don’t delay. If you do not want to canoe, we still need lots of help on shore.

Canoers and kayakers will pick up trash as they paddle downriver. Sometimes they will need to get out along the shore to pick up objects on the shore or riverbanks-- this is where muck boots or old boots or shoes will come in handy.

When the boat is full of garbage, float to the nearest clearly marked trash drop-off point. On-shore volunteers will be needed at these points to unload the boats full of “treasures,” sort recyclables from trash, and stack tires.

Other volunteers will be needed to transport all of these goodies to designated dumpsters, trailers, and storage units.

Be sure to show up on the right day and at the correct time and place designated for your trip. Please don’t be late as tardiness can set off a chain-reaction of delays reverberating throughout the day.

Volunteers will be briefed about trash hot spots and other information at the launch site, before boarding their boats. Volunteers should plan to spend at least 5 to 6 hours each day.

Finally, all volunteers are invited to the volunteer recognition and awards party, the River Riot, complete with free food (at least for the first 80 attendees), beverages, live music, and the annual “Trashy Awards” presentations.

This free event will be held September 14 at 6:00 p.m. This year, Allegheny Outfitters and Bent Run Brewing Company will co-host the event at their new, adjacent storefronts on Clark Street in Warren.

Learn more about the cleanup by visiting the Allegheny River Cleanup website or visit the Allegheny River Cleanup Facebook page.

For more information on programs, initiatives, other upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the Friends of Allegheny Wilderness website.

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