How To Organize A River Or Park Clean Up

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT SAFETY ALWAYS COMES FIRST.  IF IT LOOKS UNSAFE, DON'T DO IT.

1. Preparations
A. Find places in need of cleaning. If there is big stuff (shopping carts, washing machines, etc.) get "before" pictures - and of course "after" pictures, hopefully from the same perspective.
B. Keep safety in mind! Be sure people can safely get to the garbage or see if you can get a company to donate equipment and operators to reach places that don't have safe access.
C. Make sure you keep track of all companies that donate stuff to put their names in all press releases. The better publicity you get for anyone, the easier it will be to get them to help out next time - and for that matter their competitors, too.
D. Timing - the best time for a clean up is when the water is not too high (summer and fall). However, we run clean ups about three times a year, regardless. There is always somewhere that can be cleaned - have back up plans. We clean rain or shine. Torrential downpours and major flooding have stopped us once.
E. Find places to put the garbage in piles, or places to put dumpsters so all the garbage is accumulated into a small number of easy-to-reach places.
F. Arrange to have the garbage hauled away afterwards - sometimes a city is willing to either haul stuff away that has been gathered at a specific place or to donate dumpsters. We have also had haulers donate dumpsters and hauling.
G. Have donated or buy - large, strong garbage bags
H. Have donated or buy - work gloves or heavy rubber gloves (our electric company has donated these in the past.
I. Food - We have found college-age kids will eat after the clean up. Older folks tend to go straight home and shower. What we do:
1. Coffee (cream, sugar, cups, spoons or stirrers ) at the very start
2. Donuts and bagels - either at the start
3. Bagels, pizza, anything else at the end
4. Hand wipes!!! Napkins (paper towels) spoons, knives, etc. depending on what food you brought. Putting it all in cardboard boxes makes transport easier. Bring a card table or two to set stuff up on (if it doesn't rain - if it rains the back of someone's SUV can be helpful)
J. Politicians - contact all the politicians you can think of to personally invite. Ask them to also contact the press about the event.
K. Press - contact all the press outlets you can think of. Don't forget radio and TV. If no politicians have said they will definitely come, tell the press what politicians you have invited. If you have politicians that will come, be sure to tell the press that and to tell the politicians that you told the press they would be there.
5. Getting People -
A. Colleges are a great place to get people and to get people to help plan and run a clean up.
1. See if a local college has a Conservation Club, Outdoor Club, Environmental Club, Service Learning, etc. or try the environmental/science faculty.
2. Ask students to help in as many ways as possible
a. Putting up flyers around school and around town
b. Getting donations - food, garbage bags, gloves, etc.
c. Spreading the word on the internet
B. Watershed groups, Civic Organizations, Neighborhood Groups, Mass. Community Water Watch, MassPIRG, etc.
C. Politicians - if they have any interest they can get the press to run articles asking for volunteers, etc. (So can you, but politicians have more clout)
D. Environmental, Conservation, Social Service organizations
3. Things to ask people to bring -
A. Waders, hip boots, rubber boots
B. Rakes, rope
C. Truck is often helpful
4. Day of
A. Sign in sheet and waiver form
1. You want everyone to sign in so you know everyone who helped
2. You may want to have everyone sign out as well if there are safety issues
3. You want contact information so you can thank them and to tell them when the next clean up will be.
4. Waiver forms
B. Signs to direct people to the meeting/clean up location(s) - maps to hand out if you are sending people to other locations
C. Food, utensils, cups, plates, napkins, hand wipes
D. Garbage bags and gloves
E. Boots, waders, rakes, anything else that might be useful
F. First aid kit
G. Signs thanking companies who donated or politicians

Other - we have never done a "barge" clean up, but other groups in nearby watersheds have. Remember safety is issue number one!

We have had great success with the Conservation Commission and the Parks Department both offering to either supply dumpsters or to pick up the garbage afterward.
We have several groups that usually work together on these clean ups. Four environmental/watershed groups (Berkshire Environmental Action Team [BEAT], Housatonic River Initiative [HRI], Housatonic Environmental Action League [HEAL], and Housatonic Valley Association [HVA], and three college groups (MassPIRG, Mass Community Water Watch, and the College Conservation Club). The college groups get the food and lots of college kids to come to the clean ups. The watershed groups do most of the politician and press work and arrange for hauling of garbage at the end. But this varies with what time each one has and what each wants to do.

Any questions - contact us!
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