60 Volunteers, Gwinnett Department of Water Resources and the Hudgens Center for the Arts Teamed Up with Environmentally-focused Non Profit for Successful Waterway Cleanup Event at Bromolow Creek on May 17
Duluth, GA – May 29 – Bright and early on the morning of May 17, 60 volunteers scoured the banks of Duluth’s Bromolow Creek in search of treasure for “Art in Motion – Great Gwinnett Stream Cleanup”. A joint initiative of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, and Hudgens Center for the Arts, “Art in Motion” was designed for a dual purpose: 1) to remove litter and illegal dumping from the Bromolow Creek watershed, and 2) to collect and inventory unusual objects for use in future art projects at the Hudgens Center for the Arts.
“We are literally turning trash into treasure,” explained Connie Wiggins, Executive Director for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “This is a prime example of the power of repurposing where ‘one man’s trash’ receives an entirely new lease on life. The most interesting items collected – which include old tires, sections of fire hose, corrugated plastic tree tubes, PVC pipe, scrap metal, wooden pallets, and even an old bucket – will be used to engage high school juniors who have been selected as smART Scholarship students at The Hudgens Center for the Arts.”
Over and above the items reclaimed for the Hudgens Center smART Program, the efforts of “Art in Motion” resulted in the collection of 2,500 pounds of litter. In just two hours, dozens of volunteers removed 41 bags of trash and 25 bags of recyclables from the banks of Bromolow Creek.
“We are so thankful to all of the volunteers who gave up a part of their Saturday morning to help us,” said Wiggins. “The success of any Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful initiative relies on the support of concerned citizens and local environmental stewards just like them. It was a beautiful sight to see so many Gwinnetians working together to clean up Bromolow Creek and getting so excited when a particularly unique item was found for the art project.”
Over the course of the coming months, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful plans to implement some additional litter prevention and watershed awareness programs at Bromolow Creek. The environmentally-focused non-profit will then return to the site in 2015 to investigate the impacts of its collective efforts on the stream. Another stream cleanup event is currently in the works for October 25, 2014.
In addition to its work at the Bromolow Creek watershed, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful also implements the Adopt-A-Stream and Storm Drain Stenciling Programs on behalf of Gwinnett County. Individual families, small businesses, local churches and schools, neighborhoods and civic organizations are encouraged to protect local waterways by taking part in the Adopt-A-Stream and Storm Drain Stenciling Programs, volunteering for on-going waterway cleanup events through Georgia Rivers Alive, and finding out how to reuse, recycle or properly dispose of household chemicals from the Recycle Now Page on the Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful website.
About Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful: Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Services, Inc. (GCB) is an award-winning 501(c)3 charitable organization that boasts an expansive community-based network dedicated to finding long term solutions to environmental and quality of life issues through individual action. The organization is guided by a 55-member Citizens Advisory Board that represents all sectors of the Gwinnett County community. A nationally recognized leader in creating cleaner, greener and more livable communities throughout Gwinnett, GCB involves more than 100,000 volunteers annually to help prevent litter and graffiti, recycle and reduce waste, and increase environmental awareness. To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its programs, aspiring environmental stewards are invited to visit www.GwinnettCB.org.
About Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources: Widely recognized as a publicly-owned utility of the highest caliber through a commitment to and demonstration of operations and customer service excellence, the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources seeks to enhance quality of life by providing excellent water, wastewater, and storm water services at the best possible value to its customers while preserving natural water resources.
About The Hudgens Center for the Arts: The Hudgens Center is a non-profit organization that has been focused on the arts since its establishment in 1981. The Hudgens’ mission is to bring art lovers, leaders and learners together through quality programs and exhibits. That mission is accomplished through visual arts initiatives, such as year round fine art exhibits and classes for all ages, and community arts initiatives, which reach out to underserved populations. The Hudgens Center for the Arts is located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Bldg. 300, in Duluth, in the Gwinnett Center complex. For more information about art exhibits, events and classes at the Hudgens, please visit the website at www.thehudgens.org or call 770-623-6002.
Image Credit: Sumner Gann/Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful
