Connecticut River Conservancy’s (CRC) 28th annual Source to Sea Cleanup is back this September 27th – 28th, with flexible opportunities for individual groups. The goal is to remove as much trash as possible from waterways, riverbanks, and communities to reduce the impact of pollution across the 410-mile Connecticut River watershed, including the tributaries that feed the mainstem river in NH, VT, MA, and CT.
What began in 1997 with a small group of student volunteers dedicated to clean water and healthy habitats has grown to a massive community action trash removal event. Brought together by a shared passion for trash-free waterways, countless communities, businesses, nonprofits, and families now participate throughout the Connecticut River watershed.
Group leaders organize cleanup events at various trash sites based on areas of high need, while volunteers donate their time and effort to haul and clear tons of waste. Local municipalities support by providing dumpsters, waiving disposal fees, or collecting the trash from locations after the volunteers have completed their cleanups. CRC invites registration for the Cleanup on their brand-new platform: SourceToSeaCleanup.org.
Trash tallies are also gathered after each cleanup, contributing to CRC’s long-standing database which is used to inform the nonprofit’s work in advocacy to reduce future pollution, support river restoration, and inform the public and policymakers of issues affecting the environment. This event often includes participation from local legislative leaders.
Last year’s cleanup included 126 groups and over 1,200 volunteers throughout four watershed states, who collectively removed 34.2 tons of trash from rivers and riverside areas. A wide variety of waste was collected by volunteers, including many bottles, cans, and cigarette butts, fishing equipment, food packaging, tires, appliances, mechanical objects, and even a hot tub. Over 9K beverage containers and over 13K lbs. of scrap metal were tallied in 2023 alone. Since data collection began in 1999, over 1,107 tons of trash has been removed from the watershed.
Below are some photos from 2023 Source to Sea Cleanup groups.
“The Fort River Watershed cleanup has been an all-community event since 2019, bringing together people from all walks of the watershed to help make it a cleaner and healthier place for critters and people! We are looking forward to another year of connection around this common cause” said Brian Yellen, founding member of Fort River Watershed Association and research professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, specializing in water resources and coastal processes.
CRC promotes #RiverWitness to help people connect with each other online through their shared concern for and appreciation of our rivers. Take a photo or video when you are at the river, participating in the Source to Sea Cleanup, or enjoying time outside. Or make art inspired by river beauty or river pollution. Share on Instagram, include #RiverWitness and tag @ctriverconservancy.
“The Source to Sea Cleanup is a fabulous opportunity to roll up your sleeves, work with others in your community, and clean up our waterways and city streets,” says CRC’s Cleanup Coordinator, Stacey Lennard. “When you pick up trash you are diverting that waste from going down storm drains and into the river system, which eventually flows into the ocean. You are ensuring that we keep this debris out of our rivers and oceans.”
Group leaders who need help finding a cleanup site can check out CRC's map of adoptable trash sites. Or they can choose a site of their own by submitting a “Report a Trash Site” form. Parks, city blocks, boat ramps, and neighborhood hangouts are typically great spots to clean. Trash travels, so even picking up litter off a city sidewalk can help protect wildlife and communities that depend on clean waterways. Leaders are encouraged to scout the site out beforehand to determine if it’s suitable for their group. A handy Group Leader Guide is available for download on the Source to Sea website and provides all the necessary information and forms for running a successful cleanup.
Connecticut River Conservancy would also like to thank the following sponsors for supporting this initiative – in some cases for many years! Lead sponsors in 2024 are The Walker Group, Eversource, USA Waste & Recycling Inc., and All American Waste. With additional support from Hypertherm HOPE Foundation, AFI Furnishings, Connecticut River Gateway Commission, Enterprise Holdings, Great River Hydro, LLC., Greenfield Savings Bank, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., Savings Bank of Walpole, Ashuelot River Hydro, LLC., Chroma Technology, Florence Savings Bank, Fuss & O’Neill, Guilford Savings Bank, Jamrog HVAC, King Arthur Baking, Rare Forms, Inc., Reynold’s Boats & Reynold’s Subaru, SLR, SWCA Environmental Consultants, and Walmart Northampton & Hadley.
For more information, visit CRC’s cleanup info page.
To sign up as a volunteer or group leader, view the Cleanup Sites Map here.
For any questions about getting involved, contact Stacey Lennard at cleanup@ctriver.org.