The Schuylkill Action Network is working to rid the Schuylkill River of litter by hosting the Schuylkill Scrub from March 1 to May 31 across Southeast Pennsylvania. Those who add their spring cleanups to this anti-litter campaign can win gift certificates for kayaking, tubing, and more along the Schuylkill River.
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and Schuylkill Action Network are partnering with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful for the Great American Cleanup of PA. This partnership will make it easier for participants of the Schuylkill Scrub to access cleanup resources to make their communities clean and beautiful.
During the Great American Cleanup of PA, which is from March 1 to May 31, registered events can get free cleanup supplies such as bags, gloves and vests donated by PennDOT and Keep America Beautiful. Additionally, during Pick It Up PA Days, which is from April 11 to May 4, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association, and participating landfills, registered events have access to reduced or free disposal.
“Community leaders are wise to register, because it exposes their event to an army of potential volunteers,” said Tom Davidock, Schuylkill Action Network coordinator at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. “They even have an extra month to do it now that we’ve expanded this campaign to increase our impact.”
Last year, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful logged over 52,000 volunteers in the five counties surrounding the Schuylkill River. Together they removed more than 1,300 tons of trash from more than 1,200 neighborhoods. Much of this would have otherwise washed into the Schuylkill River. From there it would have flowed downstream to the Delaware River and, later, the ocean, littering communities along the way.
Since 2004, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary has provided nonprofit leadership and coordination for the Schuylkill Action Network to clean up the Schuylkill River and its many tributaries. Its members collaborate on projects in Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill counties, among others. They include founders, like the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Philadelphia Water Department, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Delaware River Basin Commission. The network also includes many newer partners, like Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Together, they help protect the nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians who get their drinking water from these waterways.
Approximately 2,000 square miles of land drain to the Schuylkill River. This makes it the largest influence on the tidal Delaware River and Bay, otherwise known as the Delaware River estuary. Cities along its 130-mile path include West Philadelphia, Norristown, Pottstown, Reading, and Pottsville.
Volunteers can register online at SchuylkillScrub.org. They can also call Virginia Vassalotti of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary at (800) 445-4935, extension 121.
