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4,000 Pounds Less Trash in the Great Miami River
July 20, 2010 | National River Cleanup, Restoring Rivers
Last Friday, July 16th, 2010, I had the great pleasure of participating in a river cleanup on the Great Miami River in Dayton, Ohio.
It was an opportunity for us to get volunteers out on the river – not only to cleanup the trash, but to help them make the connection between a healthy river and a healthy community.
More than 150 volunteers - from Cox Media Group, the University of Dayton’s River Institute, and Adventure Central – a youth education center for students - participated in the cleanup.
The day started with a press conference to kick off the event and ended with a trash-free lunch provided by Cox Media Group.
By the end of the day, we were exhausted, sweaty, and incredibly proud of our work! As a result of the cleanup, we had picked up 9 tires, 107 bags of recyclables, and 132 bags of trash, which was estimated at approximately 4,000 pounds of trash. In addition, we retrieved some things you wouldn’t expect to find in a river – including a fully intact street closure sign and a lawnmower!
I think that Alex Taylor, a board member of American Rivers and Group Vice President of Cox Media Group in Ohio who participated in the cleanup, summed it up when he said, “Dayton is a great place and this river is the single most important natural asset that we have. It’s the reason the city is here and I think it’s important to come here, care for it, and leave it in better condition than you found it.”
Andrew Fahlund, American Rivers’ Senior Vice President of Conservation added, “Our overall goal is to get people out on the river, get them to enjoy and embrace it and ultimately become long-term stewards of this precious resource.”
The story ran on the local TV news that day and in the local paper the following day. Watch the story and see photos of the event. For more photos, see the photo set on American Rivers' Flickr page.
Learn more about American Rivers' National River Cleanup program, including how to plan a cleanup of your own. If you’re interested in participating in a river cleanup, search our interactive map for a cleanup in your area.
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Comments List
Submitted by Anonymous at: August 17, 2010
The Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River Committee thanks you for the assistance in their ongoing effort to keep the river cleaner and the entire Miami Valley...from Indian Lake Ohio down to the Ohio River a thriving and beautiful place. All told, this effort organized by the Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River inspired along with the 150 that assisted on the section lead by American Rivers and Cox Media, a total of 1340 volunteers and extracted nearly 32 tons of trash! Dayton and the other cities along this river, Sidney, Piqua, Troy, Tipp City, Miamisburg, Trenton and Butler and Hamilton Counties can rely on the Clean Sweep Committee to continue their efforts and are glad American Rivers and Cox are now a part of the many other sponsors and supporters like Cargill who played a part in getting this event going...as it has for nearly 20 years!
Submitted by Katie at: July 22, 2010
Congrats to everyone who participated. You can be proud of yourselves and especially proud of your city's natural environment. Kudos to all and to Dayton - which remains the Gem City, thanks to your continuing efforts.