Trash and Treasure: Volunteers Collect 13 Tons of Items at the Christina River Watershed Cleanup

Above: Volunteers take a selfie on the banks of the Christina River during the Christina River Watershed Cleanup. Photo courtesy of Haritha Malladi.

TRASH AND TREASURE: Volunteers Collect 13 Tons of at the Christina River Watershed Cleanup

A dented antique hubcap, a broken canoe, a washing machine crank, a rolled-up carpet, a nearly intact chair, a cooler, construction debris, a vase, toys, gas cans, and literally tons of miscellaneous litter found their way to the dump and recycling centers this spring after sitting for an untold amount of time in parks and near waterways in Delaware.

These items would still be in the mud if it weren’t for nearly 750 volunteers who pitched in during this year’s Christina River Watershed Cleanup on April 22 (Earth Day). This year, volunteers at 13 sites collected

Aapproximately 13 tons of trash, which is about the same as 30 grand pianos or 30 horses.

PDE had 52 volunteers helping along the Wilmington Riverfront, and removed nearly 5 tons of trash (about the weight of an ambulance) from all City of Wilmington cleanup sites.

The Cleanup, funded by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, is an annual volunteer event held throughout the Christina River Watershed in Wilmington and northern New Castle County, Delaware. The mission is to remove trash from the Christina River Watershed while raising awareness for pollution prevention. At the end of this year’s cleanup, some called what was found trash, others called it treasure, but everyone agreed it didn’t belong in our rivers.

STRONG COMMUNITIES/C2.4: DEVELOP AND PROMOTE PROGRAMS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND PARTNERS THAT FOSTER VOLUNTEER STEWARDSHIP AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING