Iroquois High School students worked alongside Keep PA Beautiful, Wesleyville Borough, the Lake Erie Region Conservancy, the Regional Science Consortium at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Keep Erie County Beautiful for the cleanup project.
On September 11, during Iroquois School District’s 9/11 Memorial Day of Service, forty-seven Iroquois students joined forces to remove nearly 2,000 pounds of litter and debris from adjacent land, stream bank, and bed of Four Mile Creek.
Funding for participation in the International Coastal Cleanup was provided by the Department of Environmental Protection.
“This cleanup shows what’s possible when communities, schools, and local organizations unite for a common cause. By removing nearly a ton of litter from Four Mile Creek, these students and partners not only restored the environment and safeguarded wildlife, they proved the power of collaboration in protecting the places we all value,” said Don Benczkowski, Program Coordinator, Lake Erie Region, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
The Iroquois High School is also a proud participant in Litter Free School Zone, a program of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful that encourages students to take ownership of their campus and surrounding community by promoting litter prevention and environmental stewardship. This cleanup is a powerful example of how those values extend beyond the classroom.
The Litter Free School Zone Program is open to all public and private schools in Pennsylvania.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has partnered with the Regional Science Consortium (RSC) at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center through their Clean Marinas Initiative to support Litter Free School Zones in Erie County.
As part of this collaboration, RSC will visit new Litter Free School Zones, present the Clean Marinas program, and deliver supplies for the school’s first litter cleanup.
Other Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful initiatives in the Erie region include installing litter-control devices in Presque Isle Bay and at Erie Water Works, adding cigarette litter prevention infrastructure at several marinas, and displaying anti-litter messaging at several Presque Isle State Park beaches, all designed to reduce litter, foster environmental stewardship, and protect the local ecosystem.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, visit their YouTube Channel.
The 2026 Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative starts March 1! Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.
Keep PA Beautiful helps mobilize over 100,000 volunteers a year to pick up litter, clean up illegal dumping and beautify Pennsylvania.
[Posted: January 21, 2026] PA Environment Digest

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