It’s going to be an EVENTFUL September at Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, and we need YOUR help! In addition to our devotion to educating aspiring environmental stewards, motivating citizens to action and keeping the streets and public lands of our county “clean & beautiful,” we are focused on advocating stewardship of our precious water resources such as the Chattahoochee River, Yellow River, Lake Lanier and the many streams and creeks that flow in between. Clean water is not only an essential element to support life, it can foster healthy habitats for plants and wildlife, create opportunities for recreation, increase property values, and improve our draw to prospective new residents and businesses to our community. Unfortunately, pollution is a growing threat to our waterways and watersheds. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, millions of pounds of trash and litter are removed from waterways each year during cleanup programs. We are fortunate to partner with a number of organizations and county departments that share our concern for cleaner water sources and the healthy ecosystems in and around them. To that end, we have TWO terrific events in which YOU can serve as a “water warrior” for Gwinnett…
Yellow River Trash Bash: Saturday, September 16 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
We are excited to partner with our friends at Yellow River Water Trail, Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources and Gwinnett County Department of Parks & Recreation for this cleanup event on the banks and in the waters of the Yellow River, as well as the surrounding area. In the wake of Tropical Storm Irma and the debris she left behind, we’ll really need lots of great volunteers! Make plans to join us at Yellow River Park at 3232 Juhan Road Southwest in Stone Mountain. Each volunteer will earn a free commemorative t-shirt and pizza. Minimum ages for this volunteer event are 14 years old for land crew and 18 years old for water crew. Click HERE to learn more and register!
Lake Lanier Shore Sweep: Saturday, September 23 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For the 29th year, Lake Lanier Association is hosting the Lake Lanier Shore Sweep involving multiple organizations and hundreds of volunteers in several counties around Lake Sidney Lanier. This lake-wide event relies upon the hard work and dedication of passionate volunteers to pick up litter on the water and along the shoreline that surrounds the popular 38,000 surface acre lake in Northeast Georgia that plays host to more than 8 million visitors each year. Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources will launch three pontoon boats from Harbor Landing at Lanier Islands. Space is limited and on a first come-first served basis! Advance registration for this event is not required but is helpful. To reserve a seat on one of the boats, contact Jordan Girard – DWR Outreach Specialist at Jordan.girard@gwinnettcounty.com or 678-376-7178.
Some future GCB events to add to your calendar include Public Lands Day at Tribble Mill Park on Saturday, September 30 from 9am-1pm and Great Days of Service at Anderson-Livsey Elementary School on Saturday, October 21 from 9am-1pm. Thank you in advance for your participation in one or more of our events – the success of which depends on incredible volunteers just like YOU!