Sign up now for the upcoming Lewisburg Riverbank Clean Ups on Sunday, April 6, from 1 to 4pm, and Sunday, April 13, from 11am to 2pm. The clean ups can occur even in light drizzle but will be postponed in the event of serious rain. The rain date for the 6th will be Wednesday, April 9, from 4 to 6:30pm. On the 6th, please meet at the elevated area next to the St George St boat ramp to get your supplies and assignment. On the 13th, the main staging area will be at Wolfe Field near the intersection of N Water and St Anthony. You can pick up trash bags, work gloves, and directed to a section of river or creek bank. Plus you can get some snacks to fortify you for the task!
Participants should wear boots, long pants, and long sleeves. Avoid fleece or knits which catch burrs and thorns too readily. Bring work gloves if you have them, but some will also be available at the site. Consider the weather and bring a water bottle to rinse your hands and keep hydrated.
These events are part of the Great American Clean Up of PA, administered by Keep PA Beautiful which also coordinates road clean ups with PennDOT. They also partner with the International Coastal Clean Up Day in September. While we may seem to be anything but coastal, here in our landlocked location, unfortunately trash that finds its way into the river here, eventually can wend its way to the Chesapeake Bay and from there to the open ocean. We are hoping they will lead to bigger and better things moving forward. Right now we are aiming for an in-river clean up in the fall.
Exactly what constitutes the riverbank in Lewisburg for purposes of these events will depend on how many people participate. In the same way that the Susquehanna is part of an ocean clean up event, both Bull Run and Buffalo Creek are fair game. We have been scouting out the trash in recent weeks and there is a lot for us to tackle along all these Lewisburg banks.
These events in combination with last weekends Celebrate the Susquehanna Block Party are all part of a fantastic kickstart for the Lewisburg River Town Team initiative coordinated by Bucknell University Management 101 Company C students this semester. They are simultaneously raising funds for the international Charity: Water and raising engagement for Lewisburg as a River Town. For more information, contact us at 570.523.0114 or elmstreet@dejazzd.com.
