Communities Celebrate Earth Day With KPB's Pick Up Pennsylvania Volunteer Cleanups

In celebration of Earth Day, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful encourages residents to volunteer at an upcoming 2021 Pick Up Pennsylvania cleanup or beautification event or organize one of your own. 

Events registered through May 31 receive free trash bags, gloves, and safety vests from PennDOT district offices, as supplies last. 

Pick Up Pennsylvania engages over 150,000 volunteers annually in litter cleanups, illegal dump cleanups, beautification projects, special collections, and educational events. 

To help with the cost of trash disposal, the Department of Environmental Protection and PA Waste Industries Association are sponsoring Let’s Pick It Up PA from April 1 through April 30. 

During this time, trash collected at registered events can be taken to participating landfills and receive disposal, free or at a reduced cost, with prior approval. 

Pick Up Pennsylvania Earth Day Events 

Highlighted below are just a few of the many Pick Up Pennsylvania events scheduled in and around Earth Day, April 22, 2021. 

All events are planned according to the most recent social distancing guidelines. 

If you would like to join an event below or one listed on the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Calendar of Events, please contact the coordinator to confirm participation. 

-- Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties - April 24: Pick Up the Poconos Spring Cleanup Regionwide litter sweep. Contact Brianna Strunk at bstrunk@poconos.org or 570-856-3050.

-- Clearfield County, April 22: Sandy Township Clean-Up Day, Dubois,  - Residents are invited to do a litter sweep of the township roadways and streams. Contact Shawn Arbaugh at sarbaugh@sandytownship.net or 814-371-4220.

-- Dauphin County, through April 24: Capital Area Greenbelt, Harrisburg, The Capital Area Greenbelt Association is sponsoring pop-up cleanups. Contact Diane Kripas at dwkripas@gmail.com  or 717-991-2534.  

-- Erie County - April 21: Fry’s Landing and Horshoe Pond, Presque Isle State Park, Presque Isle Audubon Society will clean up the shoreline around Fry's Landing and Horseshoe Pond. Contact Sue Murawski at suemurawski94@gmail.com or 814-812-6072.         

-- Susquehanna County, April 22: D&H Rail-Trail, Union Dale, Volunteers can bike or walk while picking up litter along the 20-mile D&H Rail Trail from Simpson to Ararat. Contact Lynn Conrad at trails@nep.net  or 570-679-9300.

-- Venango County, April 22: Oil Creek State Park, Oil City, Volunteers will work on a number of projects, from roadside litter pick-up to light trail maintenance. Visit the DCNR Calendar of Events or contact the park naturalist at 814-676-1810. 

To host an event, join an event near you, or to inquire about free supplies and trash disposal, visit the Pick Up Pennsylvania webpage or contact Michelle Dunn, Pick Up Pennsylvania Program Coordinator, at 877-772-3673 ext. 113 or mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.      

“We are so grateful to our volunteers and sponsors who help make our Pick Up Pennsylvania, the state’s premier community improvement initiative, possible,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Last year, 11,456 Pennsylvanians coordinated and participated in 1,266 events. Over 900,000 pounds of trash and tires were removed from our beautiful landscape. This year we hope even more people find the time to help improve their communities and make every day Earth Day.”

Video Contest

Anyone participating in Pick Up Pennsylvania can earn cash prizes for their nonprofit or charity of choice by entering the Pick Up Pennsylvania Video Contest. 

Send Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful a 60-second video of your event showing how you keep Pennsylvania beautiful. Your event must be registered with Pick Up Pennsylvania to participate. 

For all the details, visit the Pick Up Pennsylvania Video Contest webpage.

Current 2021 Pick Up Pennsylvania supporters include: Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania funded by the NiSource Charitable Foundation, The Giant Company, Coca-Cola, Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association, Wawa, Giant Eagle, Luminent - Fayette Energy Facility, Mahantango Enterprises, Inc., PA Food Merchants Association, Republic Services and Wegmans. 

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.

Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up communities and keep them clean and KPB’s Electronics Waste website.

Keep PA Beautiful helps mobilize over 100,000 volunteers a year to pick up litter, clean up illegal dumping and beautify Pennsylvania.

Related Articles - Cleanup Events:

-- Independence Conservancy To Hold Tire Collection Events In Allegheny, Beaver Counties 

-- PA Resources Council To Host Spring Electronics Recycling Collections In Delaware, Allegheny Counties 

-- Volunteers Needed! Wissahickon Trails 51st Annual Wissahickon Creek Clean Up April 24

Related Articles - Earth Day:

-- DCNR Blog: Let Earth Day Inspire Lifelong Learning About Our Environment 

-- PA Council Of Churches To Join Interfaith Partners In Special April 20 Observance Of Earth Day

-- Penn State Environmental Resources Management Program Alumni Wayne Kober Celebrating 50 Years Of Impact, Inspired By First Earth Day 

-- Bucknell University Agnes Revisited - The Performance: Learning To Live With Floods - History, Change, Remembrance, And Resilience April 22 

-- Pocono Arts Council The Earth Speaks VII Exhibition And Restore Our Earth Virtual Conference April 20-24 

[Posted: April 15, 2021]  PA Environment Digest