Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Fall Pick Up Pennsylvania Cleanup Program in Progress
Participate and make a difference in your neighborhood
French Creek Valley Conservancy volunteers load trash collected during a recent cleanup.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Pick Up Pennsylvania program is in full swing, now through November 30. The fall cleanup program is held in support of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. Individuals or groups who register with the program can receive free bags and gloves, provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and the Ocean Conservancy, as supplies last. Events must be registered to receive the free supplies.
Both waterway and land-based cleanups are eligible for the program since a significant portion of waterway pollution originates on land. Wind and rain wash litter into storm drains or directly into creeks and rivers that eventually flow to the ocean where it impacts marine life, human health and coastal economies.
The French Creek Valley Conservancy participates in Pick Up Pennsylvania in tandem with their annual cleanup. Each year, hundreds of volunteers participate in what has become the largest day of stewardship in the watershed. This year, 38,875 pounds of trash was collected and 250 trees were planted.
“In 1992, a small group of volunteers with a love of French Creek, joined forces to clean trash from a small section of creek and enjoy a potluck meal together. Thirty years later, hundreds of volunteers clean miles of French Creek, its tributaries, lakes and waterways and conserved land during our annual cleanup. Thank you, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, for being a part of French Creek conservation and helping with cleanup supplies. Because of you, protecting the watershed for future generations is possible,” French Creek Valley Conservancy.
“There’s still time to plan a cleanup or other community improvement through our Pick Up Pennsylvania program. We are honored to support the efforts of groups, like the French Creek Valley Conservancy. You can help by cleaning up in and around your neighborhood! Grab a bag and collect litter from the side of the road, your local park, fields and sidewalks before it finds its way into a storm drain or waterway. Large or small, every action makes a difference.” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “It is the commitment of the volunteers that helps keep our communities clean and beautiful.”
Pick Up Pennsylvania is a year-long program to encourage Pennsylvania residents to care for the places the love by picking up litter and organizing other community improvements. Free cleanup supplies are offered in the spring and fall. Anyone wishing to participate in Pick Up Pennsylvania can visit https://www.keeppabeautiful.org/programs/pick-up-pa/ through November 30 to register a cleanup. For technical assistance, contact Michelle Dunn at mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org or 724-836-4121.
Participants are encouraged to observe the most recent local, state and federal guidelines and/or restrictions to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
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About Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s vision is a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Since 1990, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has worked with hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the state to pick up nearly 152 million pounds of trash from Pennsylvania's roadways, waterways, greenways, vacant lots, forestlands and other community spaces. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s core programming focuses on litter and illegal dump prevention, cleanup, community greening, and proper waste handling and sustainable practices. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful works with many partnering organizations on the state and grassroots level to accomplish our goal of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is the state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. To learn more about Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, visit www.keeppabeautiful.org.
