CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The annual Great Kanawha River Cleanup is a highly anticipated environmental event organized by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s (WVDEP) Make It Shine program.
Taking place on Saturday, September 7th from 9 am to noon, this cleanup mobilizes dedicated local volunteers to remove tons of unsightly and harmful litter from the banks of the Kanawha River, one of West Virginia’s most vital waterways.
Cleanup sites span several locations along the river, including the popular Winfield Beach, the peaceful St. Albans Roadside Park, the bustling South Charleston boat ramp, and the breathtaking Kanawha Falls in Glen Ferris.
The WVDEP may even add additional cleanup sites as the event date approaches, ensuring that as much of the riverfront as possible is scoured for discarded waste.
Last year’s cleanup was a resounding success, with 55 hard-working volunteers collecting over 2.5 tons of trash and an astounding 41 tires that had been callously dumped along the riverbanks.
This year, the WVDEP is once again calling on concerned citizens to register and participate, so that adequate cleanup supplies like bags and gloves can be obtained for distribution to each site.
Volunteers who lend a hand will not only make a tangible difference in the health of the Kanawha River ecosystem, but will also receive a commemorative t-shirt as a token of appreciation.
The WVDEP’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP), whose motto is “Keeping WV Clean and Green,” was created in 2005 with the mission of cleaning up West Virginia and eradicating the scourge of litter.
REAP empowers residents to take pride and ownership in their local communities by providing the necessary resources, funding, and logistical support to organize impactful cleanup and recycling initiatives.
Those interested in getting involved can find more details about the Great Kanawha River Cleanup and REAP’s other projects on the program’s comprehensive webpage.
