Good, clean volunteering
Texans target 34,000 pounds of trash, with cleanup dates left in Austin
Some volunteers have already tackled trash in the Colorado River.
Texans have been volunteering in overdrive this spring to banish litter across the state, and Ausitnites still have some opportunities to join before the initiative is over at the end of May. Trash Free Gulf, presented by the Gulf Trust and H-E-B’s Our Texas, Our Future, has five cleanups left in Austin and two in Central Texas.
This campaign focuses specifically on trash in the water, including streams, rivers, lakes, bays, and coastal waters, a press release says.
Other organizations have also joined the presenting sponsors in helping: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Keep Texas Beautiful, Yogi Bins, Austin Parks Foundation, and more in their respective regions.
The goal is to beat last year's cleanup, which would mean collecting more than 34,000 pounds of trash. Trash Free Gulf will also analyze the type and amount of trash and update Keep Texas Beautiful, which will in turn work on community programs that target those types of waste.
“We’re working to change how Texans think about their relationship with the Gulf,” said Gulf Trust executive director Jay Kleberg in a press release. “Over the next 60 days, we aim to keep 45,000 pounds of trash from reaching our coastline and turn that effort into a tradition Texans can be proud of. Since all 31 million Texans are connected by these waterways, the responsibility to protect them starts with us.”
Austinites can volunteer in the following pick-ups:
- May 23, 9 am to noon, with Austin Parks Foundation at A.B. Dittmar Park
- May 29, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, with Keep Austin Beautiful at Lady Bird Lake
- May 30, 8-10 am, with the Shoal Creek Conservancy at the Shoal Creek Trail
- May 30, 8 am to noon, with All Water Guides at Texas River School
- May 30, 9 am to noon, with the Trail Conservancy at the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail
If volunteers want to hit the water in kayaks and paddle boards, they should look into May 29 cleanup with Keep Austin Beautiful or the May 30 cleanup with All Water Guides.
The two additional Central Texas pick-ups are as follows:
- May 30, 7:30 am to noon, City of Kerrville (Kerrville Schreiner Park)
- May 30, 9-11 am, Mission (Bannworth Park Pond)
Volunteers can browse cleanup dates and sign up at trashfreegulf.com.
