Get Involved in Earth Month: Register Now for the April 13 Christina River Watershed Cleanup

The Christina River Watershed Cleanup includes sites accessed by water, such as the Newport Boat Ramp site./DNREC photo.

 

Registration is now open for the annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup, rallying volunteers to join the effort on Saturday, April 13. Sponsored by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, in partnership with the Christina Conservancy and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, the cleanup marks the 32nd year hundreds of volunteers will pick up trash at sites across New Castle County as part of Earth Month activities in Delaware.

The cleanup, scheduled from 8 to 11 a.m., will span more than 12 sites from Brandywine Hundred south through Glasgow and Bear. Cleanup volunteers are encouraged to register now through Friday, April 5, on the volunteer tab at ChristinaRiverCleanup.org. Volunteers registered for the cleanup will be provided with gloves, trash bags and safety vests to use during the cleanup. As a thank you, volunteers will receive a Christina River Watershed Cleanup vehicle trash bag or other cleanup swag items while supplies last.

Last April, the Christina River Watershed Cleanup mobilized more than 750 volunteers to pick up 13 tons of trash, tires and recyclables at a dozen sites in New Castle County. The initiative not only focuses on cleaning up but also on educating the community about the importance of maintaining clean and healthy waterways throughout the year.

DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin highlighted the cleanup as a cornerstone of Delaware’s ongoing environmental initiatives, including Governor Carney’s Keep DE Litter Free campaign.

“As part of our mission to keep trash out of Delaware’s waterways and landscapes, and to educate residents and visitors about cleaning up all year round, DNREC hosts two large-scale cleanups each year,” said Secretary Garvin. “With the statewide Delaware Coastal Cleanup not till September, the Christina River Watershed Cleanup in April focuses on a variety of sites in New Castle County as part of DNREC’s celebration of Earth Month – and what better time to support Governor Carney’s Keep DE Litter Free campaign.”

Cleanup Coordinator Shirley Posey emphasized the event’s long-standing commitment to improving the Christina River Watershed and its surroundings.

“This is the 32nd year for the annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup, and we hope to collect – or surpass – our annual average of 15 tons of trash, from piles of tires and appliances to household items and uncountable pieces of plastic,” said Posey. “With 10 cleanup sites this year, we are focused on restoring the health of the river and its watersheds. We invite everyone to join us for another successful cleanup on April 13.”

To further engage the community, volunteers are invited to share their cleanup experiences on social media for a chance to win a 2024 Delaware State Parks annual pass. Each photo shared with @ChristinaCleanup or @CRWCleanup with the #ChristinaRiverCleanup hashtags will count as an entry. Information about the 2024 Christina River Watershed Cleanup will also be posted on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.

The event organizers also offered reminders and safety tips for participants, to include:

  • Know your limitations and be aware of possibly hazardous areas, including along roadways, streambanks, and steep or slippery slopes.
  • Dress appropriately for the weather, with sturdy shoes or boots that can get dirty.
  • Always Recycle Right. Items with lots of dirt or grit attached or inside should be placed in the trash.
  • As encouraged by Governor Carney’s Keep DE Litter Free initiative, make every day a cleanup day — not just once a year — by packing a disposable bag and rubber or garden gloves whenever you take a walk or go hiking, to collect and carry out trash you find along the way.

Additionally, volunteers are advised to avoid these actions when cleaning up:

  • Don’t enter private property without permission of the landowner.
  • Don’t place yourself in any danger while volunteering for the Christina River Watershed Cleanup.
  • For any independent cleanup volunteers participating, don’t collect any trash that your household waste hauler might not accept. Tires, construction materials, and metal drums may be unacceptable.

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. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov, Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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DNREC Announces Volunteer Registration Opening Today for Delaware Coastal Cleanup Sept. 23

Volunteers picked up trash at Fox Point State Park, one of 45 sites cleaned during the 2022 Delaware Coastal Cleanup. /DNREC photo.

 

Volunteers throughout the state are encouraged to join the 2023 Delaware Coastal Cleanup, the annual one-day coordinated statewide trash cleanup event on Saturday, Sept. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon, with online volunteer registration opening today. Hosted by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and now in its 36th year, the event will be held at 45 sites to help keep Delaware’s beaches and waterways free of trash.

In addition, Delawareans and visitors are invited to join the month-long campaign starting Sept. 1 to clean up neighborhoods, green spaces and waterways statewide on days, times and at locations of their choice. The coordinated event and month-long campaign support Governor John Carney’s Keep DE Litter Free initiative.

“Four years after the launch of our Keep DE Litter Free initiative, we are seeing Delawareans of all ages and communities coming together to keep our neighborhoods, coastlines and outdoor spaces clear of litter,” Governor Carney said. “Over 1,200 volunteers came out to last year’s Delaware Coastal Cleanup to help in our statewide cleanup efforts. Thank you to all volunteers who participate in our efforts to keep our state beautiful.”

“Last year, the number of volunteers who joined us to pick up trash from our beaches, waterways and wetlands doubled. This year, we hope that even more Delawareans and visitors of all ages will give their time for one day to make a difference,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “We also continue to encourage volunteers to make every day a cleanup day in Delaware during the month of September – and throughout the year.”

Volunteers at the event speaking with the site captain.For the Sept. 23 coordinated cleanup, volunteers should sign up by Friday, Sept. 1 for their choice of sites through the Coastal Cleanup page at de.gov/coastalcleanup. Walkups are not encouraged due to volunteer site capacity limitations.

Site captains with supplies will be on site to sign in volunteers and provide supplies, trash bags and directions. Although gloves, paper data cards and pens will be available upon request, volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gloves and to use the online Coastal Cleanup reporting tool, when it goes live Sept. 1, to share their findings. Volunteers are also encouraged to bring their own five-gallon buckets to collect trash, emptying the buckets into consolidated trash bags to reduce the number of plastic bags going to landfills.

Find ideas about how to get involved in the 2023 Delaware Coastal Cleanup on Facebook and Twitter. Volunteers in both the coordinated event on Sept. 23 and the month-long campaign can post photos on facebook.com/DelawareDNREC for a chance to win a 2023 Delaware State Parks pass and a prize bag. Volunteers can post photos as often as they like throughout the month, with each photo counting as a one entry. All volunteers should also report their findings and are invited to share photos through the Coastal Cleanup page. Results will be updated during all month long and will appear on an interactive map.

Last year, 1,180 volunteers cleaned up 6,248 pounds of trash from waterways, wetlands and other natural areas. The top five trash items collected were: 12,280 cigarette butts; 4,986 plastic and glass beverage bottles and cans; 4,852 food wrappers and containers; 300 balloons, and 459 plastic bags, half the number from the year before.

Cleaning up locally makes a big difference statewide and keeps trash from entering waterways and making its way to beaches and beyond. DNREC suggests several ways to help make a difference all year long:

  • Be proactive by picking up trash near your home to keep your neighborhood clean.
  • Follow a carry-in/carry out plan and take all trash with you when visiting outdoor spaces, like Delaware State Parks, DNREC wildlife areas, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve locations, and county or local parks.
  • Pack a bag and rubber gloves when you take a walk, go for a hike, go hunting or fishing, etc., to collect and carry out trash you find along the way.
  • Recycle applicable items through in-home recycling or designated drop-off locations. Learn more at de.gov/recycling.

DNREC reminds everyone to wear gloves when picking up trash, wash hands thoroughly after cleanup activities. More information and volunteer registration can be found at de.gov/coastalcleanup. Volunteers also can email questions to DNREC_Coastal_Cleanup@delaware.gov.

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. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov, Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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Earth Day Mirror Lake Wetland Cleanup Commemorates Acclaimed 2013 DNREC Remediation and Restoration Project

Gov. Carney joined DNREC staff, city of Dover workers and volunteers from local business and organizations for an Earth Day cleanup at Mirror Lake in Dover, commemorating a precedent-setting environmental cleanup 10 years ago by DNREC that garnered national acclaim. /DNREC photo

 

Governor John Carney joined state and city employees ahead of Earth Day today to remove invasive plant species and dead vegetation at Mirror Lake in Dover. The event was organized by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the city of Dover 10 years after a successful environmental cleanup and habitat restoration at the site was undertaken by DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section and WATAR (Watershed Approach to Toxics Assessment and Restoration) team.

The 2013 cleanup used an innovative carbon technology to sequester (bind) carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and remove them from the ecosystem in Mirror Lake. The work helped to improve the natural beauty of the lake, increase the lake’s ecological function, and made the fish there safer for human consumption.

“The Mirror Lake restoration project was an opportunity for our community to come together to tackle important environmental and water quality concerns,” said Governor Carney. “I want to thank DNREC and the city of Dover’s continued efforts to monitor and improve the health of this beautiful lake.”

“What was accomplished at Mirror Lake, though smaller in scope, was monumental as a springboard for similar projects to be conducted by our WATAR team, and others across the nation, since 2013,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “I am proud in knowing that DNREC was an early adopter of this promising remedial technology, and that we now confidently use it in other areas of the state where appropriate to help us continue making gains with water quality and in restoring fish and wildlife habitat.”

Dover Mayor Robin R. Christiansen said, “Mirror Lake speaks to Dover’s civic pride. Over the last decade it has evolved into a beautiful event venue that includes private weddings. We are thankful for the partnership with DNREC and the state of Delaware in achieving it, while being able to maintain the beauty of Mirror Lake for the neighbors and our community.”

With Mirror Lake continuing to rebound from longtime environmental ills as it empties into the St. Jones River, the wetland now plays an important role in improving water quality in the St. Jones Watershed, which spans the southern half of Kent County and Delaware’s capital city, including nearby Legislative Hall and the Tatnall Building housing the Governor’s Office, and DNREC’s downstate campus in the circa 1863 Richardson & Robbins Building which borders Mirror Lake.

The environmental cleanup at Mirror Lake in Dover garnered national acclaim through use of a first-of-its kind activated carbon product called SediMite™. The project also was featured in an article in the scholarly Journal of Environmental Engineering, co-authored by several project participants, including two DNREC scientists. Titled “Full-Scale Application of Activated Carbon to Reduce Pollutant Bioavailability in a 5-Acre Lake,” the article noted that between 2013 and 2018 the project achieved approximately 80% reduction in PCB concentrations in sediment porewater, which is the water trapped between grains of sediment in the bottom of body of water. The study also documented an approximate 70% reduction in PCB concentrations in Mirror Lake’s resident fish.

DNREC scientists are currently working with project partners to develop a plan for a comprehensive 10-year post-remediation study of Mirror Lake carbon project, to include sediment, porewater, surface water and fish tissue sample analysis. Results from the study are planned to be released concurrently with DNREC previously planned fish tissue monitoring of the entirety of the St. Jones River system in the fall of 2024.

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 Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances ensures Delaware’s wastes are managed to protect human life, health, safety and the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov


Volunteers Needed for April 15 Cleanup at Concord Pond in Seaford

Earth Day Event Hosted by DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship

As part of the month-long celebration in April of Earth Day 2023, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and partners are seeking volunteers to clean up the area around Concord Pond in Seaford from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 15. DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship, in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society, Reclaim Our River – Nanticoke Series and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, will host the cleanup.

Registration is now open for volunteers. More information about the cleanup – which will begin from the Concord Pond parking area located near the intersection of Concord Pond Road (Road 516) and Henry Drive in Seaford – can be found on the DNREC website.

Volunteers will remove trash from the area and also will get guidance on how to identify and remove invasive plant species from around the pond. Gloves, trash bags and some trash grabbers will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves and trash removal tools if they have them.

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 Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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Volunteers Needed for DNREC-Sponsored Christina River Watershed Cleanup April 22

Volunteers at an earlier Christina River Cleanup offload trash and debris collected during the event/DNREC photo.

 

Registration Open for Event in New Castle County

As part of the 2023 Earth Month celebration in April, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will join the Christina Conservancy and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to mobilize volunteers to pick up trash in northern Delaware during the annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup.

The cleanup will be held from 8 to 11 a.m., Saturday, April 22 at 12 sites in northern New Castle County, from Brandywine Hundred south through Glasgow and Bear. Cleanup volunteers are encouraged to register now through Thursday, April 20 on the Volunteer tab at Volunteer.ChristinaRiverCleanup.org.

Volunteers registered for the cleanup will receive gloves, trash bags and safety vests to use for the cleanup, and a Christina River Watershed Cleanup reusable tote bag or a commemorative 30th anniversary t-shirt while supplies last. Registered volunteers are asked to document their findings on the submission link at ChristinaRiverCleanup.org, or they may use provided cards.

“Part of DNREC’s mission is to promote ways to keep Delaware’s great outdoors clean and free of trash, an effort that also aligns with Governor Carney’s Keep DE Litter Free campaign,” said Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “In addition to encouraging Delawareans and visitors to clean up all year long, we strongly support organized one-day annual cleanups like the Christina River Watershed Cleanup to highlight the importance of keeping trash out of our landscapes and waterways, where it impacts water quality and wildlife, not just the view.”

“This is the 31st year for the annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup, and we hope to collect – or surpass – our annual average of 800 volunteers collecting 15 tons of trash, from piles of tires and appliances to household items and uncountable pieces of plastic. With 12 cleanup sites this year, we are focused on restoring the health of the river and watersheds,” said Christina River Watershed Cleanup Coordinator Shirley Posey. “We invite everyone to come on out and join us for another environmentally successful cleanup on April 22.”

For a chance to win a 2023 Delaware State Parks annual pass, volunteers are encouraged to share cleanup photos as often as they like on @ChristinaCleanup; #ChristinaRiverCleanup; or @CRWCleanup. Each photo post counts as an entry. Information about the 2023 Christina River Watershed Cleanup will also be posted on social media at Facebook and Twitter.

Important Reminders for Cleanup Activities:

  • Know your limitations and be aware of possibly hazardous areas, including along roadways, streambanks, and steep or slippery slopes.
  • Dress appropriately for the weather, with sturdy shoes or boots that can get dirty.
  • Always Recycle Right. Items with lots of dirt or grit attached or inside should be placed in the trash.
  • As encouraged by Governor Carney’s Keep DE Litter Free initiative, make every day a cleanup day — not just once a year — by packing a disposable bag and rubber gloves whenever you take a walk or go hiking, to collect and carry out trash you find along the way.

Avoid These Actions When Cleaning Up:

  • Don’t enter private property without permission of the landowner.
  • Don’t place yourself in any danger while volunteering for the Christina River Watershed Cleanup.
  • For any independent cleanup volunteers participating, don’t collect any trash that your household waste hauler might not accept. Tires, construction materials, and metal drums may be unacceptable.

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.  For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov, Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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