Registration is now open for the Connecticut River Conservancy's (CRC) Source to Sea Cleanup.
This annual event, now in its 24th year, has grown into one of the largest river cleanups in the country. CRC invites volunteers to safely continue the tradition of getting dirty for cleaner rivers in September.
“The Source to Sea Cleanup strengthens community while cleaning up our rivers and streams. It's an opportunity for you to make a difference,” CRC Executive Director Andrew Fisk said in a news release. “When people help clean their rivers, they make lasting connections with each other and with their rivers.”
The annual Source to Sea Cleanup is a river cleanup coordinated by CRC in all four states of the 410-mile Connecticut River basin.
This year's Cleanup continues throughout September, rather than the customary two-day event, for better social distancing of volunteers.
Each fall, thousands of volunteers of all ages and abilities clean the Connecticut River and its tributaries on foot or by boat. Volunteers remove trash along rivers, streams, parks, boat launches, trails, and more.
In 2019, more than 3,600 volunteers hauled nearly 67 tons of trash from riverbanks and waterways across the four river states. Volunteers remove everything from recyclable bottles and cans, fishing equipment and food waste to tires, televisions, and refrigerators. To date, volunteers have removed more than 1,167 tons of trash.
Volunteers can report a trash site in need of cleaning, or organize and register their own local cleanup groups.
New this year, CRC added #RiverWitness to help people connect with one another online through their shared concern for and appreciation of the rivers.
Take a photo or video when you are at the river, participating in the Source to Sea Cleanup or enjoying time outside. Or make art inspired by river beauty or river pollution.
When sharing these images on social media, include #RiverWitness and tag Connecticut River Conservancy. If you're not on social media, share images on CRC's website: ctriver.org/riverwitness. Your images will be added to an online mosaic photo display and video. Select images will be used to call on decision-makers to enact solutions to keep trash out of the region's rivers.
For more information, event safety guidelines, or to register for the Cleanup, visit ctriver.org/cleanup.