Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup
During the month of April, the Rock Creek Conservancy held its 15th annual Rock Creek Extreme Cleanup event as a part of the Clean Earth Challenge.
The Rock Creek Conservancy is the only organization dedicated solely to Rock Creek and its parks. The creek meanders 33 miles through Montgomery County, MD, and Washington, D.C., crossing federal lands as well as district, city, county, and state boundaries.
Thousands of volunteers have come together over the years to support the Rock Creek Conservancy’s Extreme Cleanup restoration efforts and this year was no different with volunteers out in full force! The event featured a month-long extravaganza of multiple cleanups.
This year’s Extreme Cleanup included 762 volunteers who worked various cleanup locations along the 33-mile long creek area. They collectively picked up an amazing 8,303 pounds of trash (456 bags and 5,017 single-use beverage containers).
Landrum Beard, the Senior Community Engagement Coordinator for Rock Creek Conservancy notes that an important part of the cleanup was to count single use beverage containers (cans, glass bottles, plastic bottles, etc.).
This was done to advocate for and support legislation towards a Bottle Bill (5 to 10 cent return on recycled bottles) to be passed in Montgomery County, MD. The goal is also to get a Bottle Bill started in Washinton, D.C. as well. In the month of April alone, volunteers collected 5,017 single use beverage containers!
Any other interesting items of note? Several coconuts were found and collected in different sections of the park! Rock Creek Conservancy works closely with Montgomery Parks and the National Park Service who both handled bag pickups and disposal.
A big thank you to the volunteers and to Rock Creek Conservancy for working to advocate and restore Rock Creek and its parklands as a natural oasis for all people to appreciate and protect.
