Volunteers sought for shoreline cleanup

Press release, Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District

Volunteers are needed for a thankless job on Sept. 21, pulling garbage from several streams and bodies of water in Orleans County.

Each year the Orleans County Water Quality Coordinating Committee facilitates a shoreline cleanup event, which is sponsored by the American Littoral Society.

This event is open to all volunteers and provides an excellent opportunity for students, scouts, 4-H’ers and adults to fulfill community service requirements, interact with county agencies (Soil & Water Conservation District and Health Department), and make a significant contribution to our community and environment.

Volunteers will meet Sept. 21 at Bullard Park on East Avenue in Albion at 9 a.m.  After a brief introduction, they will disperse to several predetermined locations throughout the county to begin the collection.

A team captain and at least one other responsible adult is required to supervise each cleanup crew. A friendly competition is held between crews to determine who can collect the greatest amount of trash, by weight. Upon completion, they will reconvene at Bullard Park for a lunch provided by the Orleans County Department of Public Health. Participants will also receive a certificate from the American Littoral Society in recognition of their service.

This is the 13th year Orleans County will be participating in this event. In 2012 more than 1,900 pounds of trash was collected from shorelines and beaches in the county.  If you wish to join the Water Quality Committee for the Shoreline Cleanup or have any questions concerning the event, contact Dennis Kirby at Soil and Water at (585) 589-5959.