Published June 4, 2021
MetroParks volunteers remove more than 10,000 pounds of litter from Miami Valley last April
Heads up! This article was published 3 years ago.
In celebration of World Environment Day on Saturday, June 5, MetroParks wants to give a virtual high five to all our amazing Adopt-A-Park volunteers for their stellar job sprucing up their favorite MetroParks, greenspaces and back yards this year.
As you may remember, Adopt-A-Park was different this year due to the pandemic. This past April, volunteers picked up free Adopt-a-Park service kits so they could beautify natural spaces safely on their own time. More than 250 Adopt-A-Park service kits were picked up, and 363 people participated in this year’s Earth Day clean up challenge — almost half of them were children. Way to go, kiddos!
Here is Adopt-a-Park by the numbers:
Participants reported picking up litter at 40 locations throughout the Miami Valley in April 2021, including parks, neighborhoods, churches, trails, riverbanks and schools.
- Trash collected: 8,782 pounds (That’s almost as much as an Asian elephant weighs!)
- Recycling collected: 4,774 pounds
That is a grand total of 13,556 pounds of litter removed from natural spaces across the Miami Valley — an average of 37 pounds per participant.
Additionally, MetroParks’ long-term volunteers were invited to participate in a smaller, in-person Adopt-A-Park service day on April 17. The 74 volunteers collected 475 pounds of trash and 31 pounds of recycling. Additionally, these volunteers cleared trails, removed invasive species and planted more than 300 native trees and shrubs in your MetroParks.
Adopt-A-Park was sponsored by Montgomery County Environmental Services, Keep Montgomery County Beautiful, LexisNexis and QEI.
If you wanted to participate in Adopt-A-Park but didn’t get the chance, stay tuned for more information on MetroParks’ annual fall clean up, Make a Difference Day.
Don’t stop going – make Earth Day every day
In addition to keeping your MetroParks free from litter, there are many ways you can be green in the parks and at home.
Leave No Trace: Seven principles everyone should follow while outdoors, following Leave No Trace ensures you leave the outdoors better than you found it when you visit nature.
Play Passport to MetroParks: Passport to MetroParks is your ticket to an entire summer of adventure, which includes conservation, education and recreation activities. Some of the activities that will earn you passport stamps involve sustainable practices, such as building a rain barrel, planting a garden for pollinators, recycling items that can’t be included in curbside bins and more. Print your passport online or find it in the most recent issue of ParkWays. Learn more.
Nature Is Open: MetroParks’ Nature is Open blog is home to many conservation and sustainability resources that help you live a greener lifestyle at home, from sustainable cleaning practices to gardening.
Conservation in your inbox: MetroParks sends a conservation email for updates on projects, info about MetroParks’ conservation team, and tips to practice sustainability at home and in the parks. Sign up.
