Greenfield, MA – The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), formerly Connecticut River Watershed Council, hosts their 21st annual Source to Sea Cleanup this Friday & Saturday, September 22 & 23. In addition to the fun of getting dirty for cleaner rivers, the event will feature a photo contest and after-party. Each fall, over 2,000 Source to Sea Cleanup volunteers remove tons of trash along rivers, streams, parks, boat launches, trails and more in all four states of the Connecticut River basin (NH, VT, MA, CT). You are invited to join the fun and be part of the tremendous effort for cleaner rivers. For more information, visit ctriver.org/cleanup. To find a cleanup group near you, click on ‘Join a Group.’
“Thousands of volunteers from across four states come out on a single weekend to help clean up our rivers. They literally remove tons of trash every year. To date, volunteers have kept more than 997 tons of trash from polluting our rivers,” says Alicea Charamut, CRC River Steward and Cleanup organizer. “Their hard work and dedication is inspiring and makes a real difference for our rivers. We want to do everything we can to make this effort fun, too.”
During the Cleanup, participants are encouraged to keep their cameras handy and snap lots of photos to submit in the Source to Sea Cleanup photo contest. Photos must be submitted by Tuesday, October 3 through CRC’s website: ctriver.org/cleanup. Public voting until noon on October 10 will determine the People’s Choice winners. A panel of judges will select Judge’s Choice winners as well. You could win great prizes from Ibex, Cabela’s, Confluence Outdoors, and more.
After the Cleanup, CRC invites Source to Sea Cleanup participants to join an after-party with free food, refreshments, and live music in Massachusetts on Saturday, 9/23, 12-3pm at the Green River Swimming Area, Nash’s Mill Rd., Greenfield, MA. Cleanup sponsor People’s Pint, a Greenfield, MA based brewery and restaurant, will be pouring a beer made especially for this event—the Source to Sea Pale Ale. Cleanup participants are encourage to bring to the after-party the most unusual trash item they find (or a photo of it) to potentially win a prize for most unusual trash item!
“The Source to Sea Cleanup strengthens community and gives people an opportunity to improve their neighborhoods,” says CRC Executive Director Andrew Fisk. “When people help clean their rivers, they make connections with each other and with their rivers. Those connections have benefits lasting well beyond the Cleanup. That’s what it’s all about. And if you can have a bit of fun while you’re at it, then even better.”
CRC thanks the Source to Sea Cleanup lead sponsors—Eversource and Tighe & Bond—for their generous financial support.
Since 1952, Connecticut River Conservancy has been the voice for the Connecticut River watershed, from source to sea. We collaborate with partners across four states to protect and advocate for your rivers and educate and engage communities. We bring people together to prevent pollution, improve habitat, and promote enjoyment of your river and its tributary streams. Healthy rivers support healthy economies. To learn more about CRC, or to make a contribution to help protect the Connecticut River, visit ctriver.org.
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