Christina River Cleanup on Saturday, April 18

Volunteers sought for 24th annual Christina River Cleanup on Saturday, April 18

Longstanding state environmental event to include two new sites along Brandywine River

NEW CASTLE COUNTY (April 16, 2015) – Volunteers are needed to join the Christina River Watershed Cleanup along the river and several of its tributaries on Saturday, April 18 from 8 a.m. until noon at 12 sites throughout northern New Castle County. Brookhaven Park, an expanded site this year, will hold its cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon. The 24^th annual event will be held rain or shine.

Volunteers also are needed for new additions to the Christina cleanup: two cleanup sites related to the Brandywine River. At the Brandywine Mills Plaza and Park, volunteers are asked to bring a rake and gloves to do raking and trimming in the park, piling up organic waste such as leaves and tree limbs in a central location and bagging manmade trash. On the Brandywine River from the Market Street Bridge to North East Boulevard, volunteers will pick up trash along the riverbank and possibly board boats to remove trash from the water. Volunteers for the Brandywine Mills Park and River cleanup sites should plan to meet at the tennis courts at Brandywine Mills Park. Brandywine River site volunteers will be able to walk through the gate of Masley Enterprises to 16^th Street bridge and other river cleanup locations. Parking also is available near the tennis courts at Brandywine Mills Park.

For safety and efficiency, participants are encouraged to wear brightly-colored clothing, long sleeves and pants, boots or water-resistant shoes, hats, heavy-duty gloves and sunscreen. Waders or hip boots are helpful for the City of Wilmington, Churchman’s Marsh-Christiana and Newport sites. Additional jon-boat-type work boats are still needed for Wilmington’s Riverfront. All participants must wear a life jacket while on board any boat.

For a list of cleanup sites with directions and to register, visit www.ChristinaRiverCleanup.org or call 302-838-1897. Volunteers signing up on the Christina cleanup website are asked to select “City of Wilmington” as their site. Due to insurance requirements, volunteers under the age of 16 must have adult supervision.

Volunteers will receive a 2015 Christina River Watershed Cleanup t-shirt designed by Elizabeth Schwartz, a junior at the Cab Calloway School of the Arts, and the winner of the 10th annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup T-shirt Design Contest.

More than 40 organizations and businesses sponsor the cleanup each year. In addition to DNREC, primary sponsors for 2015 include: Christina Conservancy, Noramco Inc., Artesian Water Company, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Horizon Services Inc., BASF – The Chemical Company, GE Aviation, Dow Chemical, Veolia Water, Delmarva Power, Kenny Family Foundation, United Water Delaware and the State Office of Volunteerism/Volunteer Delaware/AmeriCorps.

Since its inception in 1992, the Christina River Watershed Cleanup has cleared more than 350 tons of tires, appliances, household items, and plastic and styrofoam from the Christina River, White Clay Creek and other tributaries. More than 13,000 volunteers have filled trash bags along Churchmans Marsh, White Clay Creek State Park, the City of Wilmington and various other locations.

DNREC has been a sponsor and an integral part of the Christina River Watershed Cleanup since its inception. Specifically, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife provides planning support in addition to staff, boats, and specialized equipment to transport volunteers and discard trash from remote locations. The cleanup of the river within the city of Wilmington benefits DNREC’s ongoing marsh restoration work at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge.

For more information on DNREC’s programs, visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov.