1,553 Volunteers Clean Oregon Beaches and Rivers
For ten days in September, thousands of gloves and trash bags came out across Oregon and Southwest Washington. The nonprofit SOLVE held its yearly Beach & Riverside Cleanup from September 18 to 27, and the results are something to smile about.
In total, 1,553 volunteers took part in 96 cleanup and restoration projects across 15 counties. Together they gave more than 3,100 hours of their time. They removed nearly 9,000 pounds of litter and debris, stopping that trash from washing down rivers and into the Pacific Ocean.
The work went beyond picking up rubbish. Volunteers cleared more than 9,450 square feet of invasive plants, an area bigger than three tennis courts, and spread mulch around 300 plants to help local habitats grow back stronger.
On the coast, 25 events stretched from Astoria and Warrenton down to Gold Beach. At Siltcoos Beach, volunteers removed marine debris near protected nesting areas for the western snowy plover, a small shorebird. In Gold Beach, one event let people bring their dogs along for a cleanup walk.
Inland, volunteers cleaned along the Eastbank Esplanade in Portland, the Upper Clackamas and Molalla rivers, and a park in Salem. In Southern Oregon, neighbors cared for the Bear Creek watershed, and in Vancouver, Washington, teams pulled ivy to protect trees and wildlife. In Bend, 42 volunteers collected 175 pounds of litter in one morning.
SOLVE CEO Kris Carico said the event shows what is possible when people unite to care for the places they call home. Small local efforts, she said, add up to a big regional impact.
