Thousands of volunteers across Virginia collected at least 31,000 pounds of litter as part of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Clean the Bay Day, according to a May 2 announcement. The event is described as Virginia’s largest and longest-running litter cleanup.
The initiative highlights ongoing efforts to reduce pollution in rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay. Organizers say that removing debris helps protect local waterways and promotes environmental stewardship.
More than 2,300 people participated at sites throughout Virginia on foot and by boat despite rain and chilly weather. Volunteers filled over 1,000 trash bags with items such as plastic bottles, cans, cigarette butts, a bait bucket, mannequin legs, a rusty machete, and even a bag of bullets. “Clean the Bay Day is the ultimate example of ‘many hands make light work,’” Lisa Renée Jennings, Hampton Roads Outreach & Advocacy Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), said. “In just a few hours, volunteers picked up tens of thousands of pounds of litter that’s now no longer at risk of polluting our rivers and streams, as well as the Chesapeake Bay.”
Cleanups took place in areas including Hampton Roads, Richmond, Northern Virginia, Shenandoah Valley and Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Partner groups such as state parks joined CBF within the watershed to host additional sites. Volunteers included elected officials, business representatives and community members from across the Commonwealth.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Office promotes cultural and social well-being through seven outdoor environmental education programs statewide—including student leadership initiatives—according to its official website. The office operates facilities in Richmond and Hampton Roads with field staff located throughout Charlottesville, Shenandoah Valley and Eastern Shore; it also manages oyster restoration sites in Gloucester and Virginia Beach along with education programs around the state according to its official website.
The foundation works to protect local waters by addressing pollution from sources like sewage treatment plants or stormwater runoff according to its official website. Collaboration with communities for events like Clean the Bay Day aims to encourage greater environmental stewardship according to its official website.
Since it began in 1989—with more than 177,000 participants having removed over 7 million pounds of debris—the event continues mobilizing Virginians toward cleaner waterways.
