Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is seeking volunteers to participate in Pick Up Pennsylvania as a way to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Sept. 25.
Traditionally, National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort, meant to encourage environmental stewardship and build connections between people and community green spaces.
Dawn Kline, and the Friends of Nockamixon State Park, are planning a shoreline cleanup on Saturday. “I think that we have all learned, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, just how important our public lands are to us. We all need to do our part to help keep our public lands clean and safe, not only for our communities, but to protect our wildlife as well. Thanks to support from Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, we are able to hold our annual shoreline cleanup at Nockamixon State Park again this year.”
For more information contact Dawn Kline at dlkline4@verizon.net or 215-529-7018 or visit www.friendsofnockamixonstatepark.org.
The Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance of Climbers (EPAC) has also noticed a greater impact on public lands since the pandemic.
“While it is exciting to see so many people enjoying the outdoors, it has led to more trash which is overwhelming to park staff as well as volunteer groups,” offered Dana Caracciolo, from Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance of Climbers. The group hosted a small cleanup on Sept. 19 where less than 12 people removed 30 bags of trash, two tires, a TV and a full-sized rug from Pinchot State Forest in just a few hours.
EPAC is planning a cleanup of High Rocks Vista, Ralph Stover State Park on Sept. 25. For more information contact info@epaclimbers.org or 267-483-7317.
Additional cleanups are listed on Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Calendar of Events. Anyone wishing to participate in a cleanup or coordinate their own, can visit keeppabeautiful.org/programs/pick-up-pa/ for technical assistance. Free bags and gloves, provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and the Ocean Conservancy, are available as supplies last to those who register their cleanup event with the Pick Up Pennsylvania program at keeppabeautiful.org/programs/pick-up-pa/register-event/.
“Volunteers all across the state will be out in force this weekend honoring our national public lands by leaving it better than they found it,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “You can help celebrate the beautiful lands Pennsylvania has to offer and pick up litter at your favorite park, trail, waterway or in your own neighborhood. Pick Up Pennsylvania is here to help.”
For a complete list of National Public Lands Day events visit www.neefusa.org/npld.
You can participate in Pick Up Pennsylvania through Nov. 30. Register an event at https://www.keeppabeautiful.org/programs/pick-up-pa/register-event/.
Participants are encouraged to observe the most recent local, state and federal guidelines and/or restrictions to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
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