Volunteers use teamwork to remove trash from a boat after it was collected during an earlier Christina River Watershed Cleanup. /DNREC photo

State’s Second Largest Cleanup Effort Seeking Volunteers

Volunteers are invited to participate in an early Earth Day activity by lending helping hands to the annual Christina River Watershed cleanup at 13 sites throughout northern New Castle County. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 11. Registration is open now via the Volunteers tab at ChristinaRiverCleanup.org with hundreds of volunteers expected to rally at sites from Brandywine Hundred south through Glasgow and Bear.

Sponsored by the Christina Conservancy in partnership with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), the cleanup is the state’s second-largest such effort, drawing approximately 500 volunteers each year – behind only DNREC’s statewide Delaware Coastal Cleanup. The event focuses on restoring local waterways and raising awareness among northern Delawareans about the importance of clean rivers and streams that provide public drinking water, habitat for fish and wildlife, recreational opportunities and tourism dollars.

“One of the most direct ways to better our state and environment is taking part in a cleanup, and any time there is a cleanup the more hands we have the more good we can do,” said DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson. “The Christina River Watershed Cleanup is the perfect opportunity with its focus on taking care of the state’s northern watersheds and promoting community awareness about the vital importance of having clean and healthy waterways.”

“Clean water is the cornerstone of our work,” said PDE Executive Director Kathy Klein. “As we celebrate our 30^th year serving the great state of Delaware, we especially encourage Delawareans to value and protect our waterways – essential sources of drinking water, drivers of local economies, and vital habitat for fish and wildlife. A few hours of volunteer time is a small investment in return for the lasting reward of clean water.”

“With the Christina River Watershed Cleanup continuing into its 34^th year, we have mixed feelings about collecting and perhaps surpassing our annual average of 12 tons of trash that ranges from old tires and appliances to household items and uncountable pieces of plastic,” said Shirley Posey, long-time cleanup coordinator who has participated in every cleanup since it began in 1992. “Our goal is to restore the health of the Christina River, and we would be happy, come April 11, to find less trash on the landscape. We’re grateful to the volunteers who will scour our 13 Delaware sites this year, determined to make this our most successful cleanup ever.”

Cleanup organizers will provide registered volunteers with gloves, trash bags, and safety vests to use during the event. As a thank you, volunteers will receive a reusable shopping bag while supplies last.

To further engage the community, volunteers are invited to share their cleanup experiences on social media with the #ChristinaRiverCleanup hashtag. More information can be found at ChristinaRiverCleanup.org, or by emailing ChristinaRiverCleanup@gmail.com.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Alyssa Imprescia, alyssa.imprescia@delaware.gov ; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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