Volunteers now being registered for Athens-Clarke County waterway cleanup

Athens-area residents will be wading into local rivers and streams as part of the continuing statewide campaign to clean and preserve Georgia’s waterways. 

Rivers Alive is a volunteer cleanup program initiated by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and organized across the state by several local organizations.

Volunteers in Athens will gather on Saturday, October 19 from 8:30 a.m. to noon to participate in the annual waterway cleanup. Volunteer check-in will be at 8:30 a.m. at Dudley Park where breakfast and t-shirts will be provided. Volunteer teams will relocate to their assigned cleanup sites shortly after the kickoff celebration.

During last year’s Rivers Alive cleanup, 165 volunteers helped collect 2,700 pounds of trash & recycling, 560 pounds of scrap metal, and 33 tires. In addition, volunteers planted 300 native grasses and flowers, decaled 26 storm drains, surveyed 24 Marine Debris Tracker sites, and collected water samples from 24 sites.

If you would like to volunteer to make a meaningful impact in Athens, please visit www.accgov.com/riversalive for more information about the event and registration. Volunteers should bring a reusable water bottle and wear gloves, long pants, and closed-toed shoes. 

Sponsors for the event include Jacobs Engineering Group, Koons Environmental, UGA Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Jittery Joe’s, Trader Joes, Coca-Cola, and Rivers Alive/ Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

For more information, please call 706-613-3729.