Press Release: Gwinnett County to Host 4th Annual Great Gwinnett Wetlands

Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources Seek Volunteers for Annual Cleanup Event April 28

 Lawrenceville, Georgia, March 15, 2018 – During the same month associated with Earth Day and Keep America Beautiful Month, the folks at Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources seek to highlight a very important element of the environment – the wetlands. Most commonly found in North Georgia on floodplains near rivers, streams or creeks, wetlands are areas of land where water covers the soil for all or parts of the year. They often boast rich ecosystems of plant, aquatic and terrestrial life, and they are highly vulnerable to pollution through littering and chemical runoff. To that end, the two Gwinnett County organizations teamed up for the first time in 2015 to increase awareness about wetlands and host a yearly wetland cleanup event aptly named Great Gwinnett Wetlands. After witnessing terrific success during the first three years, 2018 marks the 4th Annual Great Gwinnett Wetlands cleanup event, which will be held on Saturday, April 28 at Bromolow Creek and Wetlands in Duluth.

“What many people don’t realize is that the health of our wetlands impacts the overall health of our local environment,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “In addition to its role as ‘home’ to native animal and plant life, the water from wetlands funnels into our precious water resources including creeks, streams, rivers and lakes. In addition to representing water that supports the local ecosystem, it’s water in which we enjoy recreational activities like swimming, fishing and boating. It’s vital that we act as stewards for these wetlands and our water resources further downstream – not just once a year, but on a continuous basis.”

During last year’s Great Gwinnett Wetlands event, 230 volunteers not only learned why wetlands are such a vital element of the environment, but they also monitored Bromolow Creek and Wetland’s water quality, picked up 3,320 pounds of trash, removed close to 2,400 pounds of privet, and installed four coconut fiber logs to protect the wetland from erosion and allow it to absorb water for better flood control.

This year on April 28, volunteers will return to the banks of Bromolow Creek to fan out through the wetland picking up litter that act as pollutants and removing invasive plants that choke the health of the wetland. There will also be plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning such as proper monitoring of water quality and the overall health of the wetland. As a thank you for their participation, all volunteers will receive a specially designed t-shirt to commemorate the program. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Parking will be available at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance at 2025 Satellite Pointe in Duluth, and volunteers must arrive with a completed waiver form in hand. Volunteers are asked to register on the Great Gwinnett Wetlands page on the Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful website at www.gwinnettcb.org by April 26. Volunteers must be 14 years of age or older. Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Interesting in Taking Part? Check out this terrific video of last year’s Great Gwinnett Wetlands Cleanup Event: https://vimeo.com/259030213

For those aspiring environmental stewards unable to take part in the April 28 Great Gwinnett Wetlands event, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources offer opportunities for citizens to Adopt-A-Stream. This volunteer water quality program encourages locals to become “keepers” of a portion of a stream, collecting baseline water quality data, picking up litter and monitoring the health of the stream and surrounding area. In return, the two organization provide all of the necessary tools, training and certifications. To learn more about Adopt-A-Stream, please visit the program page at 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.

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. For more information, please visit the Department of Water Resources at www.gwinnettcounty.com.

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