Volunteers are invited to join Delaware’s month-long Earth Day celebration in April by helping clean up 13 sites throughout New Castle County during the annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 12. Registration is open through Thursday, April 10, with hundreds of volunteers expected to rally at sites from Brandywine Hundred south through Glasgow and Bear.
Sponsored by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, in partnership with the Christina Conservancy and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), the state’s second largest cleanup effort attracts about 750 volunteers each year, with only DNREC’s statewide Delaware Coastal Cleanup drawing greater participation. The cleanup’s message focuses on local waterways and educating northern Delawareans about the importance of clean rivers and streams that provide public drinking water, habitat for fish and wildlife, and generate recreational opportunities and tourism dollars.
“April is Earth Month. There are lots of ways to get involved, and one of the most direct is to take part in a cleanup and literally make a part of Delaware cleaner and more beautiful,” said DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson. “DNREC is proud to be part of the Christina River Watershed Cleanup, which focuses on taking care of the state’s northern watersheds and educating communities about the vital importance of having clean and healthy waterways – all year long.”
“Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is honored to be a partner and organizer of the Christina River Watershed Cleanup,” said PDE Executive Director Kathy Klein. “Volunteers need only spend a little of their time at this event for the lasting reward of a job well done and helping make our waterways a little cleaner and healthier.”
“With the Christina River Watershed Cleanup now in its 33rd year, we hope to collect – or surpass – our annual average of 15 tons of trash, from old tires and appliances to household items and uncountable pieces of plastic,” said Shirley Posey, long-time cleanup coordinator for Christina Conservancy and DNREC who has participated in every cleanup since it began in 1992. “With 13 sites this year, plus another site just over the line in Pennsylvania, we invite everyone to join us for another successful cleanup on April 12.”
Cleanup organizers will provide registered volunteers with gloves, trash bags and safety vests to use during the event. As a thank you, volunteers will receive Christina River Watershed Cleanup swag while supplies last.
To further engage the community, volunteers are invited to share their cleanup experiences on social media with the #ChristinaRiverCleanup hashtag. More information can be found at ChristinaRiverCleanup.org, or by emailing ChristinaRiverCleanup@gmail.com.
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