Spring cleaning the great outdoors
Courtesy of Joe Fulton
Among the items cleared from the stream during East Washington’s 2021 cleanup were tires, wood and a shopping cart. The borough hopes to have at least 20 volunteers at this year’s Clean-Up Day on April 23.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Locals will spend the morning of April 9 clearing litter from Mingo Creek County Park as part of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s The Great American Cleanup.
Courtesy of Laura Kutek
Volunteers load trash into a pickup truck during the last Uniontown City cleanup. This year’s event will be held April 23.
Last year, Boy Scout Troop 1452 volunteered to clean up Nottingham Township. Cleanup coordinator David Zanardelli said the troop will volunteer again at this year's event, scheduled for April 23.
The scent of fresh blooms dances on a gentle breeze as folks step outside to enjoy the sunshine and start of spring.
To preserve the good vibes of outdoor time and promote a healthier body and environment, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Transportation and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful are once again promoting their annual Pick Up Pennsylvania initiative.
Now through the end of May, Pennsylvanians are invited to join Pick Up PA’s The Great America Cleanup, a statewide spring cleaning for the great outdoors.
Locals may spearhead an event through Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful or volunteer at a pre-scheduled event.
Those who register a spring cleanup are eligible to receive free work gloves, safety vests and trash bags while supplies last. Landfill space is available at a free or reduced cost through the initiative during the month of April.
Several cleanup events around Washington, Greene and Fayette counties are scheduled for April.
Mingo and Cross Creek county parks will be abuzz with activity Saturday, April 9, when volunteers gather to beautify those public spaces.
“It provides the community an opportunity to be involved,” said Jeff Donahue, superintendent of recreation for Washington County.
Donahue said the county has hosted the annual cleanup for nearly two decades, and he hopes the weather is nice so folks come out for socialization and community cleaning.
The second annual Uniontown Community Clean Up Day begins at 11 a.m. April 16 in the Uniontown City Library parking lot. A second citywide cleanup is scheduled for April 23.
Volunteers are invited to meet at Roscoe Sportman’s Club on April 22 for the Mon Valley Clean Up. The annual event runs from 9 a.m. to noon. One day later and a little bit north, the borough of East Washington is hosting its first spring Clean-Up Day.
“We tried starting doing this in 2020. We had to cancel that event,” said borough Councilman Joseph Fulton, who is leading the cleanup. “This has sort of been planned for two years. I hope it becomes an annual tradition.”
Locals and visitors alike are encouraged to meet at the borough’s public works salt lot across from East Beau Street for an event that runs from 9 to 11 a.m.
Volunteers can come for the coffee and stay for the pizza April 23, where David Zanardelli, chairman of the Nottingham Township recreation board, is leading that annual cleanup. The event begins at 9 a.m. at the township building and runs until noon.
“Last year, with the help of a local Boy Scout group, we picked up over 130 30-gallon bags of trash, 17 tires and a 12-foot-long aluminum pole,” said Zanardelli. “We filled two dump trucks and a dumpster. We want to keep Nottingham Township beautiful.”
Centerville Borough is also hosting its cleanup day April 23, and dumpsters will be available at four locations throughout the community.
Last year, a total of 4,390 cleanup events were held statewide and 76,399 Pennsylvanians volunteered to clean roadways, shorelines and trails.
According to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, volunteers at both spring and fall cleanup events disposed of 3,818,760 pounds of trash and 41,917 tires.
For more information, or to find an event near you, visit https://www.keeppabeautiful.org/programs/pick-up-pa/.