Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Issues Call for Volunteers to Take Part in Bromolow Creek and Wetlands Cleanup Event on April 27
Lawrenceville, Ga. – April 9, 2019 – On Saturday, April 27, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GCB), Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources and dozens of volunteers will celebrate the fifth year of Great Gwinnett Wetlands in Lawrenceville’s lush wooded landscape. The Keep America Beautiful-affiliated, eco-focused nonprofit and friends will mark another year of the signature wetland cleanup event at the same location where Great Gwinnett Wetlands was launched in 2015 – Bromolow Creek and Wetlands. Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., participants will work together to monitor the health of the wetland and water quality, pick up litter that act as pollutants and remove invasive plants that choke the health of the wetland.
“As well as its role as an excellent community-focused volunteer opportunity, Great Gwinnett Wetlands is jam-packed with hands-on learning opportunities,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “In addition to growing awareness about the important role wetlands play within the environment, this event is designed to teach volunteers which plants are good for the environment and which are considered ‘invasive’. It will also teach about how to measure water quality – and may spark an interest in some of our participants in becoming part of our Adopt-A-Stream program. On the whole, it teaches everyone how much we can accomplish when we all work together for a common cause. Last year, with the help of 200 volunteers over the course of just four hours, we removed 3,560 pounds of litter and 14,500 pounds of invasive plants at Beaver Ruin Wetlands. This year, we’re hoping to have an equally great turnout, but with a lighter yield on the amount of litter collected and invasive plants removed. That would be a sure sign that Great Gwinnett Wetlands has taken hold over the last four years and that we’re having a lasting impact!”
Taking on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem, wetlands are “saturated lands” that act as sponges – collecting and storing excess water to help prevent flooding in local streams, rivers and lakes. Litter and invasive plants can negatively impact the health of the wetland, as well as the water sources into which that wetland siphons. Cleanup events like Great Gwinnett Wetlands empower people to directly protect and maintain local wetlands. More importantly, the awareness that stems from events like Great Gwinnett Wetlands extends beyond the wetlands themselves and educates residents about the importance of caring for precious water sources like the Chattahoochee River, Yellow River and Lake Lanier
To volunteer for the 5th Annual Great Gwinnett Wetlands, interested parties are encouraged to learn more and register at http://www.gwinnettcb.org/event/great-gwinnett-wetlands/. Please register by April 25. As thanks for their participation, volunteers will be given a specially designed t-shirt to commemorate the event.
About Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful: Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Services, Inc. (GCB) is a Keep America Beautiful affiliate and award-winning 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It 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 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 clean and restore public places, recycle more, protect watersheds and develop the next generation of environmental stewards. To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its mission of “Connecting People and Resources for a Sustainable Gwinnett,” please visit www.GwinnettCB.org.
