Satilla Riverkeeper and 19 volunteers cleaned up the Ava Lightsey Landing on the Satilla River in Atkinson on Saturday, April 14. Volunteers removed approximately 30 large garbage bags of litter from around the landing.
This cleanup was part of a larger, coordinated cleanup week and trash awareness campaign that Waterkeeper Organizations and Affiliates across 20+ Gulf and South Atlantic states are taking part in for Earth Week.
“Unlike at some of our other cleanup sites, most of the trash that volunteers picked up seemed to be the result of careless (or deliberate) littering rather than illegal dumping,” says Satilla Riverkeeper, Laura Early. “The landing was packed on Saturday with plenty of boats out on the water and families and groups swimming and playing on the sandbars. It is great to see people enjoying this wonderful resource, and we all need to take some responsibility for keeping it clean.”
This landing is one of the few public landings that has trash cans on site. At other landings, river-goers are encouraged to follow the principle of “pack it in, pack it out.”
On Saturday, volunteers cleaned the parking area, boat ramp, under the bridge, and the dirt road leading to the ramp. A few volunteers also took to the water. The most common items picked up were plastic bottles (218), beverage cans (180), and food wrappers (219).
“It was clear that the kind of trash we were finding was what is left behind after a fun visit to the river,” said Laura Early. “If we all make an effort to pick up after ourselves, we will all be able to continue to enjoy beauty and bounty that the Satilla has to offer.”
Advanced Disposal will pick up the pile of trash bags collected by the volunteers, but it is important to note that the waste disposal company does not usually pick up trash bags left outside the bins at this landing. If the trash bins are full, visitors should take their trash with them.
If you couldn’t make it to this cleanup Satilla Riverkeeper invites you to follow along on social media as they’ll be posting information about problematic waste on their Facebook (@Satilla.Riverkeeper) and Instagram (@satillariverkeeper) leading up to Earth Day.
River cleanups have been an essential part of the Satilla Riverkeeper’s mission since the early years of the organization. Since 2014, the Satilla Riverkeeper hosts an annual river-wide cleanup in partnership with Rivers Alive. Through this partnership, the Satilla Riverkeeper has been able to track the success of river-wide cleanups and in three years has removed over 12,000 pounds of trash from the Satilla River. Look for Satilla Riverkeeper’s river-wide cleanup again in Fall 2018.
The Satilla Riverkeeper is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2004 whose mission is to protect, restore, and educate about the unique and beautiful, blackwater Satilla River. To learn more about the Satilla Riverkeeper, membership opportunities, and how you can get involved with protecting YOUR Satilla River, visit www.SatillaRiverkeeper.org.