Environmentally-Focused Nonprofit to Host Watershed Cleanup Event in Snellville October 21
Lawrenceville, Ga. – October 13, 2017 – For the past 17 years, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GCB) has been pleased to take part in Great Days of Service – a cooperative and community-focused initiative created by the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services. Last year, 63,700 volunteers came out on behalf of the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services to work side-by-side on 403 projects addressing specific needs and issues in the community. That same year, GCB concentrated its efforts on Sweetwater Creek and the surrounding watershed. In just a matter of hours, hundreds of GCB volunteers picked-up 1,480 lbs. of litter and trash, removed 2,300 sf. of invading plants that choke the health of the creek, and stenciled 100 storm drains to educate over 750 residents about not dumping down the drains that lead to Sweetwater Creek and Watershed. For the 18th Annual Great Days of Service, the eco-focused and community-based nonprofit is seeking a gung-ho group of “do-greaters” to tackle the Lower Yellow Watershed in Snellville on October 21 as its contribution to one of the largest community volunteer events in the nation.
“We often hear the question, ‘what is a watershed,’” said Sumner Gann, Project Manager for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “Watersheds are vital to the health and well-being of all communities – not just our own. In its simplest terms, a watershed is the area of land surrounding a lake, river, stream or wherever water flows to a common point. Water from rain flows downhill inside the watershed and into a waterway, often carrying with it litter and harmful chemicals. Our watershed cleanup events are about so much more than simply maintaining the physical beauty of the area. Everything that happens on and around the watershed can have an impact on nearby waterways. The very same waterways that sustain life for local flora and fauna, provide an outlet for recreational pursuits like fishing and swimming, and sometimes even provide drinking water for our neighbors further downstream. That’s why it’s so important that we all come together as neighbors and show our community pride during Great Days of Service to protect the health and sustainability of our watersheds and waterways.”
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 21, volunteers will fan out along the Lower Yellow Watershed in Snellville to protect the vitality and beautify the watershed by removing litter and invading plants. Volunteers can also take part in GCB’s Storm Drain Stenciling Program throughout the surrounding area. To register for the event, aspiring environmental stewards are asked to fill out the online registration form at www.gwinnettcb.org/programs/great-days-service/ and download the Volunteer Waiver Form to complete and bring with them on the day of the event. For more information about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its programs, please visit www.gwinnettcb.org.
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, please visit www.GwinnettCB.org.
