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Potomac Watershed Cleanup 2004
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Saturday, April 3rd, Friends of Sligo Creek volunteers showed up early to join thousands of others in the Potomac watershed in a three-hour cleanup event. There were five designated cleanup sites in lower, middle and upper Sligo Creek Park. Even on a cloudy and wet morning, more than 120 Friends participants signed in, and grabbed gloves and bags before fanning out in various directions throughout the park to pick up the trash. This event was part of the Alice Ferguson Foundation's 16th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup.
Many hardy souls rolled up their sleeves and, working side by side, picked up trash and debris from the banks of the river and its tributaries. It's amazing what can be accomplished in just 3 hours to improve our environment!
Ferguson organizers said late Tuesday they had a preliminary figure of 160 tons of refuse, reported from 88 percent of the volunteer sites, which already surpassed last year's total of 117 tons collected. Volunteers shared their experiences and findings, with one runner coming down the path, keeping his stride and yelling out a kind "thank-you" to a group of clean-up volunteers.
Among the most unusual items found during the Potomac cleanup were a pipe wrench, red vampire teeth, and a headless Barbie doll! But here are the outstanding statistics, what was accomplished and collected, in just 3 hours with a total of 3,400 volunteers:
Friends of Sligo Creek thank all who participated for their hard work and participation in this annual cleanup effort. It shows a tremendous commitment to the overall concern we all share in working towards a trash-free watershed. Please stay posted for the next big Friends of Sligo Creek cleanup event to be held in September - The Annual "Sweep the Creek"
Kathleen McRoberts
Litter Chair