Special to the Herald
St. Johns Riverkeeper, local governments, nonprofits and businesses are partnering to organize the third annual Great St. Johns River Cleanup, a series of coordinated cleanups throughout the St. Johns River watershed between March 15 and April 26.
Cleanups are currently planned in Clay, Duval, Orange, Putnam, Seminole and Volusia Counties as part of the Great St. Johns River Cleanup.
“Several counties were independently organizing St. Johns River cleanup events every year in March and April,” explains Jimmy Orth, Executive Director of St. Johns Riverkeeper. “So a few years ago, we decided that we could collectively have more of an impact if we joined forces, recruited more counties and partners to participate, and worked together with a common goal.”
This collaboration of cleanup events aims to raise awareness about the harmful impacts of litter and debris on our waterways and communities, as well as unite residents throughout the watershed in a collective effort to protect and restore the St. Johns River and its tributaries.
● Volusia County April 5
● Seminole County April 26
Volunteers can find event dates and available cleanup locations for each county by visiting StJohnsRiverCleanup.com. New locations will continue to be added to this page and participating county websites as the events approach.
The Great St. Johns River Cleanup brings together new and existing cleanup efforts with the goal of significantly increasing awareness, participation, and the amount of trash that is removed from the St. Johns and its tributaries. Each county and individual participating in the cleanup is connected by the same magnificent river, and each of our efforts to help clean and restore the river has an impact that reaches far beyond our own neighborhoods.
In the past two years, more than 2,600 volunteers collected roughly 3,000 bags of trash throughout the St. Johns River watershed during this event.
Whether or not you can attend one of the official cleanup events near you, you can participate by picking up trash in your own neighborhood or local park!
