Saturday marks the 10th year of the Connoquenessing Creek Cleanup project.
Over the past decade the cleanup has removed over 600,000 pounds of garbage and more than 7,000 tires from the Connoquenessing Creek. Mike Handley is a member of the Allegheny Aquatic Alliance, who helps organize the cleanup, and he is amazed at the work the volunteers have done in the past decade.
“Some of it’s very alarming how much we’ve pulled out of there,” Handley said. “But the fact that we’ve got that much out of there is incredible, and it wouldn’t be done without the help of the community.”
Handley says he’s expecting a big turnout for Saturday, but says the Wednesday’s storm may impact how much of the creek they’re able to clean.
Either way, he believes this project has helped reconnect the community with the local waterway.
“Compared to the earlier years of doing the cleanup and where we are now with so many people involved and aware of what’s going on–it seems like the community is almost policing their own backyards, which is really nice to see,” Handley said.
He said the group also took great pride in how much the Connoquenessing was used during the height of the pandemic when people were venturing outside to look for entertainment.
“I think we saw the number of kayakers and canoes quadruple during the quarantine,” Handley said. “It’s just awesome to see people reconnect with the creek for entertainment purposes.”
Handley says no pre-registration is required to volunteer, but encourages people to wear clothes that they are comfortable in and don’t mind getting dirty. The group is meeting at 8 a.m. at the Lick Hill VFD on McClellan Road.
He also encourages volunteers to check the Allegheny Aquatic Alliance Facebook page for any weather related updates.
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