Greenfield, MA.  September 20, 2007  On Saturday, September 29, 2007, the 11th Connecticut River Watershed Council Source to Sea Cleanup takes place throughout the four-state Connecticut River basin.  “We still have groups and sites that could use volunteers,” says Chelsea Gwyther, Executive Director of the four-state Watershed Council,  “If you’d like to pitch in we can find a place for you.”  Sponsored in part by New England Family Farms Milk, cleanup volunteers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire will be helping clear clandestine trash, appliances, and tires from rivers, streams, and riverbanks for proper disposal.
Over its eleven-year history some 7,500 people have participated in the event, removing nearly 400 tons of trash from hundreds of dumpsites throughout basin.  Last year, according to Andrea Donlon, the Massachusetts River Steward and Source to Sea Coordinator, 1,685 volunteers cleaned up over 45 tons of material, “The cleanup links communities across hundreds of miles in western New England.  It invests people in the great wealth of our rivers.”   Anyone interested in signing up can view a list of participating groups and cleanup sites at: ctriver.org, or contact Andrea Donlon, Cleanup Coordinator at: (413) 772-2020, ext. 205.

  • The Watershed Council’s Source to Sea Cleanup began in 1997.  This is the 11th Cleanup.
  • Over its eleven-year history 7,500 people have participated in the event.
  • Geographically it’s New England’s largest volunteer river event, linking communities in a single endeavor across the four-state, 410-mile reach of the Connecticut.
  • Nearly 400 tons of trash, tires, appliances, and discarded construction materials has been removed from hundreds of riverbank dumpsites throughout the Connecticut basin during Source to Sea Cleanups.
  • Last year, 1,685 volunteers cleaned up over 45 tons of material.
  • Two thousand seven hundred forty-three (2,743) tires have been collected for proper disposal during Source to Sea Cleanups.
  • Stacked-up, those tires would reach 4/10 of a mile into the air, dwarfing the world’s tallest building–the 1,670 foot Taipei 101 Tower, by nearly 400 feet.

For press information contact: Chelsea Gwyther, Executive Director: (413) 772-2020, ext 202, cgwyther@ctriver.org, or Andrea Donlon, River Steward,  (413) 772-2020 x. 205, or adonlon@ctriver.org.

NOTE:  If you would like to send a photographer or reporter to cover a local cleanup, we can link you with the group nearest your area.   The most up-to-date list of participating groups can be found at: ctriver.org/cleanup