The annual Source to Sea Cleanup is a watershed-wide initiative organized by Connecticut River Conservancy in NH, VT, MA, and CT to remove as much trash as possible from the Connecticut River's tributaries, riverbanks, parks, and communities. 2024 was the 28th year in a row of this cleanup, and once again there was an incredible turnout by over 120 different groups consisting of communities, families, businesses, nonprofits, schools, and diverse volunteers united in their commitment to cleaner, healthier rivers.
While most events happened on September 27-28th, there were also groups that went out as early as August, and some still scheduled to have their cleanups in October, which means the overall cleanup is not yet complete! And it will be some time before Connecticut River Conservancy receives everyone’s stories, photos, and the results of all the trash tallies – including details of exactly how much trash was collected, what kind of items were common this year, and unusual items found.
We will provide a much more detailed summary of activities in this year’s Cleanup Chronicle (here is last year’s for reference) later this fall, but in the meantime, we’ve compiled some of the highlights that have come in. If you have participated this year and have any questions or would like to send us your photos, please contact us at cleanup@ctriver.org.
Here are just a few of the incredible groups that participated this year:
The Franklin County Rivers Cleanup/Green River Cleanup in Greenfield, MA, was a mega-group consisting of 25 separate events celebrated their 21st year of being part of the Source to Sea Cleanup. Once again there was incredible leadership from David Boles, Michael Pattavina, and Charlie Olchowski who organized the cleanup and made sure that all trash items - thousands of pounds of trash! - were tallied in detail.
Hypertherm North America employees joined forces with the Black River Action Team (BRAT) to collect a full 15-cubic-yard dumpster worth of trash from the Black River in Springfield, VT! The Town of Springfield supported the effort by coordinating the dumpster - by the end of the cleanup, it contained an estimated 295 pounds of rusted scrap metal, 108 tires (many were decades old), and a range of items from electronics to children's yard furniture, strips of plastic hundreds of feet long, shopping carts, and more. Hypertherm also had a cleanup group in West Lebanon, NH, a few weeks after the VT group.
The Farmington River Watershed Association in CT had 5 different cleanup groups including in Avon Fisher Meadows, Collinsville, Tunxsis Mead, Windsor Boat Ramp, and Tariffville Park. This quote from group leader Heather Geist is a great reminder of how trash travels: “Although our recreationists and residents love their river, and they work hard to use responsible practices, accidents can happen when stormwater washes litter and debris from floodplains into streams and rivers. We must remember that floodplains are part of our rivers - they transport vital nutrients and materials to aquatic ecosystems, but they can also transport unwanted pollution.”
The Ashuelot River and Beaver Brook River Cleanup in Keene, NH with Cheshire County Conservation District group leader Amanda Littleton had a wonderful group of local residents removing trash from Ashuelot River Park.
The Fort River Watershed Association led by Brian Yellen had over 120 volunteers in Groff Park in Amherst, MA, including kids of all ages. Among the items found were a toilet seat, tires, bikes, and a seemingly endless assortment of bottles, cans, nips, and plastic food packaging.
Several legislators once again joined cleanups in Massachusetts, including Senator Jo Comerford, Lindsay Sabadosa (State Representative, 1st Hampshire District), Natalie M. Blais (State Representative, 1st Franklin District), and Mindy Domb (State Representative, 3rd Hampshire District). We greatly appreciate the involvement of local leaders who not only support legislation that helps keep our rivers clean, but who roll up their own sleeves to get involved!
Cleanup groups with Eversource employees in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire made a huge impact removing dozens of bags of trash and large debris from our rivers.
"At Eversource, we take great pride in our employees' dedication to environmental stewardship, and the Source to Sea Cleanup exemplifies that commitment in action," said Corporate Citizenship Manager, Hayley Dunn. "This impactful event allows our team to contribute directly to the preservation of our natural heritage, ensuring cleaner, safer waterways for future generations. Each year, our employees enthusiastically participate, knowing that their efforts play a vital role in safeguarding the environment and strengthening the communities we serve."
New Source to Sea Cleanup lead sponsors, The Walker Group, held a cleanup in Ferry Park Boat Launch in Rocky Hill, CT, with CRC Board of Trustees member Tim Lewis and CRC River Steward in CT, Rhea Drozdenko. Walker Group employees used CRC's foldable kayaks to remove litter along the shore of the Connecticut River. Among the items found were a tiny shovel, and a mystery glass bowl covered in mud and algae found on the shore.
Youth groups including South Hadley High School and Cub Scouts, Holyoke Public Schools, Choate Environmental Club, Dover Elementary School, Deer Paths Nature School, and the Academy of Charlemont participated with students ready to make a positive impact for their communities and environment. In Brattleboro, VT, 5th grade student Julius spoke for his classmates and many other annual cleanup participants when asked what he’d hope to see different next year: “I don’t want to see dog poop bags.” We agree!
The First Hampshire Green Team with State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa and WRSI The River co-organized a fantastic group of volunteers in Northampton. Among the items collected were a whopping 5 TV sets, 1 computer, 3 long-discarded mattresses, a tire, rusty car parts and a full/adult car seat, construction waste, and lots of plastic items. After departure we got a tip that another waste area was found that we'll need to return to.
The Essex 3-villages cleanup group in Essex, CT, had dozens of volunteers came together at the Connecticut River Museum before spreading out to a handful of trash sites where they collected and hauled all sorts of debris, both small and large. Community members of all ages found plenty of cans and bottles, tires, large foam dock pieces, and more! They cleaned up Essex's Great Meadow and the newly acquired Turtle Creek Preserve, which were a target of this year's efforts. Several Land Trust members joined as well as Valley Regional High School Environmental Club members.
“In years past, with the support of the Connecticut River Conservancy, The Connecticut River Museum and the Essex Land Trust, our Essex 3-Villages Source to Sea Cleanups have been a huge success. This will be the fourth year our local community has come out for the cleanup effort. We are always amazed at the amount of trash we collect, the enthusiasm and multi-generational participation." -Tanya Cutolo, Sustainable Essex Cleanup leader
The River Roads Cleanup in Millside Park in Easthampton, MA, had 39 volunteers including music artist Dar Williams and the band High Tea who performed at the previous day’s River Roads Festival, and was led by Easthampton City Councilor Owen Zaret. The group collected over 240 pounds of trash that included 610 nip bottles, another 600+ beverage containers, clothing, cigarette butts and all manner of plastic and Styrofoam debris.
The Wethersfield Cove Dad’s Club in Wethersfield Cove, CT, came out strong once again with joyous volunteers ready to lend a hand and keep their favorite recreation area clean and healthy. Equipped with kayaks, canoes, and plenty of cleanup supplies, the group of dads and their young children paddled across the cove as they demonstrated the importance of keeping our rivers clean.
Special thanks to our Lead, River, and Tributary sponsors for making this event possible. Additional sponsors can be found on the Source to Sea Cleanup website here.
There were so many more groups not included here due to limited space, but that’s what the upcoming Cleanup Chronicle is for! If you participated in this event, THANK YOU so much for your dedication and we look forward to recognizing all groups soon.
Looking for a next step? Sign up for Connecticut River Conservancy’s email newsletters if you’re not receiving those already. Our River Stewards send regular emails and action alerts for ways you can support healthy rivers in your state. You can also learn about our advocacy and all programs supporting clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities.