A Saturday Morning to Remember: Potomac River Cleanup Day

There are some who wake up on a Saturday morning and decide to ease into the day with a fresh cup of Joe and a glance at the weekend paper. Then there’s Eric.

Not one to miss out on a beautiful spring morning, Eric took a brisk walk from his place in Foggy Bottom over to Theodore Roosevelt Island to pitch in for the annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup.

Joined by a 125-person crew, Eric and fellow volunteers rolled up their sleeves and got to work by cleaning up trash and debris at three sites along the Potomac: Theodore Roosevelt Island and Fletcher’s Cove in Washington, DC, and the River Center at Lock 8 in Cabin John, Maryland.

Our 'green clean team' removed a whopping 3,200 pounds of trash and recyclables from the Potomac’s shorelines!

Going the extra mile, volunteers hauled 8 tires, 3 barrels, 1 mattress, 400 pounds of bulk items, and a water-filled child safety figure to the curb. A few adventurous volunteers even brought their waders and kayaks to get to the hard to reach trash.

The April 5 Potomac River Watershed Cleanup is an annual event coordinated by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. Volunteers with Potomac Conservancy joined over 4,000 volunteers at 300 sites throughout the watershed. At day’s end, volunteers removed over 90 tons of litter from local rivers and streams!

The enthusiasm Eric and his fellow volunteers brought to the cleanup day reflects the commitment we share as a community to preserve our local parks, lands and waters.

If you’re interested in a fun way to spend your Saturday morning, join us at one of our year-round cleanup events along the Potomac. Eric heard about our event through our monthly River Update email. Sign-up today!

You can also check out upcoming opportunities by visiting our Events Calendar >