'Tis the season to get people out and about and back in the swing of outdoor activities.  Cabin fever is so last season.  You are no doubt starting to hear exhortations from all quarters, including here.  We called people out for a clean up at the end of March.  We're having another one next weekend (Saturday, April 11, meet at St George St Boat Ramp at 2pm -- dress for the weather and tackling the undergrowth, bring gloves and a five gallon bucket if you have one).  And the weekend after that our River Town partner organization, the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail, is hosting a pre-Earth Day clean up along the trail.  And then there will be clean up opportunities actually on the water the first weekend in May, courtesy of the Susquehanna River Clean Up Project.  Not to mention multiple municipal tree-planting days seeking volunteers to help address the carnage left in the wake of the Emerald Ash Borer cruising through our public parks.

And, in spite of the totally-not-feeling-like-spring weather last weekend (high maybe in the mid-30s), 37 people came out to Hufnagle Park and worked along the banks of Bull Run north to Danny Green Field and south to St George St!  Did I mention it was really, really cold?  And by the end, windy enough that even our donut holes (courtesy of Dunkin Donuts) were trying to blow away?  But the hot chocolate helped fortify our intrepid work force.  And, equipped with trash grabbers and buckets (many thanks to Cole's Hardware), the group was able to extract 25 bags of trash from that half mile stretch of creek bank.  The newspaper gave us some great coverage and while they focused primarily on the large and unique objects we were finding, the reality is that the bulk of what was retrieved was simply litter:  bottles, wrappers, cups, straws, labels, etc.  That is a huge amount of little bits of trash.  And that's really what we're after.  Even though the storm windows, construction fencing, and carpets take center stage.

Hope to see you at the Saturday, April 11, clean up.  Meet up at the St George St Boat Ramp (St George and S Front St) at 2pm that afternoon.  Please dress appropriately.  Having legs and arms fully covered will be helpful when charging into the undergrowth.  If you can bring your own five gallon bucket, they can be easier to manage than the full size trash bags and allow us to conserve bags.  There will be a limited number of trash grabbers available to borrow as well.  We are looking into getting more as they certainly improve our ability to extract items lodged in branches or extending out over the creek.  We will be focusing on the River Walk path and the mouth of Bull Run as well as other segments of riverbank in the public realm.

We will once again have some snacks on hand to fortify you before you take on the trash.  If you'd like to help staff the organizing table or sort recyclables, please let us know (570-523-0114 or elmstreet@dejazzd.com).

Don't be shy and bring a friend!