Litter seekers – on foot, kayaks and paddleboards – cleaned up trash along streets and streams in central Mississippi on March 9 as part of Keep the Rez Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup. More than 2,500 pounds of trash was collected, including a shopping cart, bicycle and several tires. Volunteers also erected bird and bee boxes and planted 40-plus native trees at Keep the Rez Beautiful’s Scenic Park, which is a registered People’s Garden in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Initiative.
About 100 volunteers attended the event, the third Great American Cleanup event that Keep the Rez Beautiful has held. This is the first time KRB blended cleanup and planting activities into one event, and KRB’s executive director, Jeanine May, said she was pleased with the results.
“It was great seeing everyone come together and improving the Reservoir community,” she says. “We have an amazing group of volunteers, who inspire me each time we hold an event like this one. I went home after the cleanup thinking, ‘Wow! I am overwhelmed. We have some awesome volunteers.’”
Waste Management, Duncan Marine, Troy-Bilt, Beagle Bagel Café and Pearl River Valley Water Supply District sponsored the event. WM donated a temporary dumpster for the day, and volunteers were able to sort litter into recyclable and non-recyclable bags so that it could be disposed of appropriately.
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