DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – Local governments and organizations partnered to organize the third annual Great St. Johns River Cleanup in Duval County on Saturday.
The cleanup was at Reddie Point Preserve hosted by the Timucuan Parks Foundation. Paul Wharton said picking up trash, and cutting branches with other volunteers who he considers friends is rewarding for him.
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“The earth is not being well taken care of, but as you can tell, get a handful of people that love Jacksonville, care about the environment, makes a huge difference,” Wharton said.
Bob and Rich Beyard are twin brothers who said they’re more than happy to volunteer for a good cause.
“They’d rather throw it down on the ground when they’re standing beside the trash can, than carry it to the trash can and dispose of it properly,” the Beyards said.
St. Johns Riverkeeper Executive Director Jimmy Orth talked about how the cleanups came to be.
“Several counties were independently organizing St. Johns River cleanup events every year in March and April,” Orth said. “So a few years ago, we decided that we could collectively have more of an impact if we joined forces, recruited more counties and partners to participate, and worked together with a common goal.”
The cleanup events aim to raise awareness about the impacts of litter and debris on waterways and communities and to unite residents to protect the St. Johns River and its tributaries.
The Duval County cleanup was the first of six events. There will be more cleanup events in the following counties:
- Volusia County - April 5
- Orange County - April 12
- Seminole County - April 26
- Clay County - TBD
- Putnam County - TBD
Officials said in the past two years, more than 2,600 volunteers collected roughly 3,000 bags of trash throughout the watershed.
Click here for more information about the cleanups.
