Volunteers Edie Benner, Katherine Weber, Faith Andreen and Ellianna Andreen participate in last year’s River Sweep Reimgained by removing trash from the Promenade in Havre de Grace. (Photo by Kimberly Andreen)
Roadside and shoreline cleanup takes place Sept. 18 in celebration of World Rivers Day
Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway’s 21st annual River Sweep, a volunteer shoreline and roadside clean-up in celebration of World Rivers Day, will take place rain or shine Saturday, September 18 in Havre de Grace, Conowingo, Perryville, Port Deposit, Charlestown and on Garrett Island.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and River Sweep will be held from 9 a.m. to noon.
Two new locations have been added this year–Rodgers Tavern Museum in Perryville and Susquehanna State Park in Havre de Grace. Following is a listing of meeting locations:
Cecil County: Marina Park, 190 South Main Street, Port Deposit; Conowingo Community Park at Octoraro Creek, 1720 Susquehanna River Road, Conowingo; Conowingo Creek Boat Launch, 2 Mt. Zoar Road (Mount Zoar Road and the water), Conowingo; Perryville Boat Launch/Garrett Island, 501 Roundhouse Drive, Perryville; Perryville Community Park, Marion Tapp Parkway, Perryville; Rodgers Tavern Museum, 259 Broad Street, Perryville; and Eagle Point/Long Point, Conestoga Street, Charlestown.
Harford County: Tydings Park, gazebo at Commerce Street, Havre de Grace, and Susquehanna State Park, Deer Creek trestle bridge parking lot, Stafford Road, Havre de Grace
River Sweep participants will fan out to spend the morning removing trash and other debris from the Upper Bay region, including the Chesapeake Bay, Susquehanna and North East rivers and their tributaries.
Those interested in volunteering on Garrett Island should bring their kayaks and canoes and meet at the Boat Launch in Perryville. Boaters are also welcome.
River Sweep volunteers are encouraged to wear old clothes (long sleeves and pants are recommended; shoes may get wet) and to bring work gloves. Volunteers who sign up in advance will receive lunch.
To register, visit Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway’s website at www.UpperBayTrails.com through September 14.
While traditionally held in April in honor of Earth Day, River Sweep takes place in 2021 in September, in celebration of World Rivers Day.
“Our volunteers make a difference by helping to improve our community’s quality of life through conservation, protection and restoration. We are grateful to those who are so generous with their time and talents,” said Brigitte Carty, executive director of Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway. “Many thanks, also, to our sponsors and community partners for supporting the work we do.”
Sponsors of the 2021 River Sweep include Exelon Generation, Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, Keep Maryland Beautiful, Maryland Environmental Trust, Forever-Maryland Foundation, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, and
Maryland Department of Transportation. Community partners include Cecil County, Harford County, Havre de Grace, Perryville and Port Deposit plus Charlestown Green Team, Citizens Against Trash Club of Havre de Grace, Havre de Grace Green Team and Perryville Green Team.
In addition, full or partial financial assistance has been provided for this project through the Cecil County VLT Local Community Grant Program, sponsored by the Cecil County Executive.
This project has been financed in part with state funds from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. However, project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.
The Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway is a nonprofit, certified Maryland Heritage Area located in Cecil and Harford counties along the Lower Susquehanna River and Upper Bay. Its mission is to encourage regional economic development through heritage tourism primarily by supporting public recreation efforts, particularly trail development and public water access, historic preservation, cultural celebration and conservation efforts. For more information about Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway, visit www.UpperBayTrails.com.
