04-30-08: Volunteers to help in Craven Clean-Up

(c) New Bern Sun Journal

By Charlie Hall, Staff Writer

Litter laws and warning signs don't keep some people from randomly disposing of trash - tossed out of car windows and even dumped in and around the waters of parks, boat ramps and roadsides.

Like a mother picking up behind untidy children, a group of Craven County volunteers gathers three times a year for a coordinated cleanup.

The annual Craven County Clean Sweep is Saturday, with a 9 a.m. starting point at Lawson Creek Park in New Bern.

 "Individuals or groups who would like bags and gloves and directions to a site in need can go there," said Clean Sweep coordinator Tom Glasgow, director the Cooperative Extension Service in Craven County. "People can also get in touch with us ahead of time."

He said the Clean Sweep effort selects areas that are not regularly attended to by community service groups and state and municipal workers.

"We're looking for the less busy roadsides, parks, and boat landings," he said. "They don't have to haul it to the landfill themselves. They can leave the bags along the side of the road and notify us as to where they were working. We have a pretty good success rate of getting those picked up."

There are also cleanup opportunities in Croatan National Forest, for hearty folks with boots, gloves and plenty of insect repellent.

"Catfish Lake, for example, the boat landings out there are always a huge mess," Glascow said. "There is a certain segment of society that uses that as a dumping ground. There are any numbers of places to go, with no shortage of trash."

Glasgow said information on trashy sites is welcome.

"If somebody doesn't have the possibility of working with us on Saturday, we'd love to hear about sites that need help," he said. "We're trying to compile a list of places to go."

Canoe and kayak owners are welcome for work on waterways.

"We're not asking for somebody's entire day or even their entire morning," Glasgow said. "If you can give us an hour or two and keep track of what you've picked up, we have little cards we send out that serve as inventory cards. Any time that you have as an individual or as a group, we'd be delighted for you to be a part of it."

The spring Clean Sweep is one of three such projects, along with Little Sweep in February and Big Sweep in October.

This year's Clean Sweep comes at a time when the state Department of Transportation is conducting a statewide cleanup - Spring Liter Sweep.

For information on Clean Sweep, call the Craven County Cooperative Extension office at 633-1477.