Thursday, September 23, 2021

​​Keep PA Beautiful: Celebrate National Public Lands Day By Participating In Pick Up Pennsylvania

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is seeking volunteers to participate in Pick Up Pennsylvania as a way to celebrate National Public Lands Day on September 25. 

Traditionally, National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort, meant to encourage environmental stewardship and build connections between people and community green spaces. 

Dawn Kline, and the Friends of Nockamixon State Park, are planning a shoreline cleanup this Saturday. 

“I think that we have all learned, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, just how important our public lands are to us. We all need to do our part to help keep our public lands clean and safe, not only for our communities, but to protect our wildlife as well. Thanks to support from Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, we are able to hold our annual shoreline cleanup at Nockamixon State Park again this year.” 

For more information contact Dawn Kline at dlkline4@verizon.net or 215-529-7018 or visit the Friends of Nockamixon State Park website. 

The Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance of Climbers (EPAC) has also noticed a greater impact on public lands since the pandemic. 

“While it is exciting to see so many people enjoying the outdoors, it has led to more trash which is overwhelming to park staff as well as volunteer groups,” offered Dana Caracciolo, from Eastern Pennsylvania Alliance of Climbers. 

The group hosted a small cleanup on September 19 where less than 12 people removed 30 bags of trash, 2 tires, a TV and a full sized rug from Pinchot State Forest in just a few hours. 

“Events such as this demonstrate good stewardship for visitors and also show our land managers that we are here to help. Unfortunately, that is only the tip of the iceberg and the site requires much more work. We are an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization with a limited budget. Having the resources of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and their Pick Up Pennsylvania program will afford us the opportunity to do more work like this,” said Caracciolo. 

EPAC is planning a cleanup of High Rocks Vista, Ralph Stover State Park on September 25. For more information contact info@epaclimbers.org or 267-483-7317.  

Additional cleanups are listed on Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Calendar of Events

Anyone wishing to participate in a cleanup or coordinate their own, can visit the Pick Up Pennsylvania webpage for technical assistance. 

Free bags and gloves, provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and the Ocean Conservancy, are available as supplies last to those who register their cleanup event with the Pick Up Pennsylvania program. 

“Volunteers all across the state will be out in force this weekend honoring our national public lands by leaving it better than they found it,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “You can help celebrate the beautiful lands Pennsylvania has to offer and pick up litter at your favorite park, trail, waterway or in your own neighborhood. Pick Up Pennsylvania is here to help.” 

For a complete list of National Public Lands Day events, click on Find An Event.

You can participate in Pick Up Pennsylvania through November 30.   

Participants are encouraged to observe the most recent local, state and federal guidelines and/or restrictions to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).  

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 Article:

-- PA Resources Council: To Hold Household Chemical Collection Event Oct. 9 In Beaver County

[Posted: September 23, 2021] PA Environment Digest

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