A popular Potomac River island received some much-needed TLC on MLK Day weekend
/Our local river cleanup was joined by the Director of the US EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program
dr kandis boyd (third from left) with a group of volunteers after finding a large carpet on the shores of the potomac river. photo by potomac conservancy
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Potomac Conservancy hosted a volunteer service event to restore Theodore Roosevelt Island, a National Park site and recreation area popular with local runners, dog walkers, and nature lovers.
The annual winter cleanup, which took place the morning of Saturday, January 14, 2023, saw high turnout as community members showed up to volunteer in chilly 30-degree weather to remove shoreline litter. Just a few boats lengths from the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. King gave his historic “I have a dream” speech, the group of 75 volunteers removed over 100 bags of trash, litter, and large debris from the island’s shores, leaving a safer environment for recreationists and animals alike.
Special guest Dr. Kandis Boyd, Director of the US EPA Chesapeake Bay Program attended the morning cleanup equipped with warm gloves and several trash bags.
“It’s so important that each and every one of us do what we can to help restore the [Chesapeake] Bay. Even if it’s a little piece of litter or if it’s pieces of carpet that we found here today, each of us has a role in making sure our rivers and streams are as clean and as pristine as they can be.”
She added, “This is a stellar community event. I appreciate the work that Potomac Conservancy and its partners in the region do to restore the rivers, creeks, and streams that flow into the Chesapeake Bay.”
dr kandis boyd with alan spears (third from left), hedrick belin (second from right), and potomac conservancy board chair john froemming (far right). photo by potomac conservancy
Potomac Conservancy President Hedrick Belin reinforced the importance of participating in the weekend of service saying, “When we come out and connect with our neighbors in service, we continue Dr. King’s important legacy. What we do collectively as a community to take care of each other and the natural places where we live, play, and work—matters. Every forest we save, every tree we put in the ground, and every piece of litter we pick up reduces polluted runoff and protects the health of local streams and the Potomac River.”
Potomac Conservancy was also joined by Alan Spears, Sr. Director of Cultural Resources, Government Affairs of the National Park Conservation Association (NPCA), and the Potomac Boat Club. Spears discussed the importance of service, environmental justice, and collective action, sharing, “When communities come together in service to the land both the resources and the people benefit.”
trash removed from the shores of the potomac river at theodore roosevelt island. photo by potomac conservancy
The Theodore Roosevelt Island cleanup was one of three volunteer sites hosted by Potomac Conservancy this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend; 189 volunteers attended in total and removed 3,880 pounds of shoreline trash.
Potomac Conservancy also hosted volunteers at the Matthew Henson Trail in Aspen Hill, MD with Montgomery Parks, and Four Mile Run in Alexandria, VA with Latino Outdoors and Green Muslims. Our year-round community cleanup events in the Potomac River watershed reduce shoreline litter and raise public awareness about polluted runoff, the fastest-growing source of pollution to local waterways.
Join us for our next shoreline cleanup and make a difference for our hometown river!
Come get your hands dirty for clean water!
