12th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup

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12th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup:
Dozens of dirtied groups return for 4-state effort

Mark your calendars, set out your grubbiest clothes, and tell your friends
to save Saturday, October 4 for a day of true grit and fun helping out on
the Connecticut River Watershed Council’s 12th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup
Individuals, scouts, businesses, school groups, and helpers of all stripes
are sought for New England ’s largest river cleanup event, encompassing river
banks and tributary sites along the 410-mile Connecticut River from
Pittsburg , New Hampshire , to Old Saybrook , Connecticut .. New and returning
volunteers are asked to register with CRWC by Friday, September 5.

In 2007, over sixty groups and two thousand individuals pitched in to clear
50 tons of trash from the banks of New England ’s great river system. That
trash haul kept mountains of debris and buckets of unsavory pollutants from
reaching local water sources, swimming holes, boating and recreation areas,
and river currents that stretch from near the Quebec border all the way to
Long Island Sound. “Last fall an amazing collection of volunteers hauled
everything from used motor oil and vacuum cleaners, to 594 illegally dumped
tires, 12 car batteries, and 26 refrigerators and stoves away from the
shores of our cherished rivers,” says Christine Luis-Schultz, Outreach
Director and Cleanup Coordinator for CRWC, “We’re hoping for an even bigger
turn out on October 4.”

According to Luis-Schultz, last fall’s effort saw a reduction in the number
of tires removed by volunteers for the first time in the Cleanup’s history,
“We’re making a difference. Linking people in this four-state community
effort helps raise people’s awareness. Source to Sea brings a sense of
accomplishment and stewardship of our precious water resources that few
events can.” This year the Cleanup will likely reach a couple of new
milestones: 10,000 people from across four states will have volunteered for
the river’s signature fall event (the current tally stands at 9,500); and
the number of tires collected will likely surpass 3,000 overall.
Stacked-up, they would dwarf the world’s tallest building, the Taipei 101
Tower, and reach ½ mile into the air.

To become a volunteer, a sponsor, get more information, or be referred to a
Source to Sea Cleanup team in your area, please visit www.ctriver.org or
contact Christine Luis-Schultz at: (413) 772-2020, ext 201, email:
cleanup@ctriver.org. A full tally of last year’s Cleanup and participating
groups is also available on the CRWC web site.