Volunteers Kelly McCracken and Nick Borland during the Friends of the Winooski River Cleanup in 2016. (Photograph courtesy of Watersheds United Vermont)
Volunteers Kelly McCracken and Nick Borland during the Friends of the Winooski River Cleanup in 2016. (Photograph courtesy of Watersheds United Vermont) Credit: Photograph courtesy of Watersheds United Vermont

Greenfield, Mass. — The Connecticut River Conservancy is hosting the 21st annual Source to Sea Cleanup on Sept. 22 and 23. The effort will include all four states that the river touches and thousands of volunteers.

Last year, 50 tons of trash were removed from the Connecticut River during the event. That included large tire dumps, shopping carts and dock material, but smaller items of trash were also collected.

“Small trash items like plastic and Styrofoam are also a major concern,” Alicea Charamut, CRC river steward and cleanup organizer, said in a news release. She noted that even people who can’t come to the cleanup can contribute to a healthy river by using reusable water bottles and shopping bags rather than disposable items that contribute to pollution of waterways.

“The biggest change happens when every single one of us makes small changes in our daily lives to reduce waste,” Charamut said.

This year, the CRC cleanup day will focus on pollution prevention in addition to trash removal.

“Our goal is to keep trash and tires from getting in our rivers in the first place and to eventually put ourselves out of the business of cleaning up our rivers,” Charamut said. The CRC pushes for policies and legislation that can reduce the amount of trash dumped in the river. “We all have a responsibility to solve this problem — individuals, manufacturers, businesses and government,” Andrew Fisk, CRC executive director, said in the release.

There are cleanups happening in the Upper Valley from Lyme to Claremont. For more information on joining a cleanup group or to register your own, visit www.ctriver.org, email cleanup@ctriver.org or call 860-704-0057.

— Staff report