More than 100,000 pounds of litter will not flow into Virginia’s waterways thanks to thousands of volunteers who participated Saturday in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) annual Clean the Bay Day, Virginia’s largest and longest-running litter and shoreline cleanup.
On June 1, 4,470 volunteers and more than 60 CBF partners gathered at more than 200 sites in Richmond, Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore, Northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, and at Virginia State Parks. Totals show more than 100,000 pounds of litter and debris were removed from beaches, parks, shorelines, streams, rivers, and lakes.
Since 1989, this Virginia tradition has engaged more than 168,375 volunteers who have removed approximately 7 million pounds of debris from more than 8,200 miles of shoreline.
“What began as a discussion among four residents sitting around a kitchen table is now Virginia’s largest cleanup event. And that was clear across Virginia Saturday. Volunteers cleaned up their communities, experiencing that unique connection from coming together for that common goal of restoring the Bay,” said CBF Grassroots Coordinator Lisa Renee Jennings.
As in previous years, the most common items found during this year’s cleanup were plastic and glass bottles, plastic wrappers, plastic bags, and cigarette butts. But volunteers recovered many larger items, including a mattress, toilet, car bumper, and the carpeted floor of boats. Unusual items included the skull of a dog and toadfish, a gun safe, an empty R-22 refrigerant canister, and a bird cage. Volunteers also rescued a box turtle entrapped in a pile of Styrofoam.
Among the volunteers were many elected officials, other community leaders, service members, small businesses, large corporations, and thousands of other Virginians.
Virginia Communications & Media Relations Manager, CBF
[email protected]
804-258-1567
