City of Richmond hosting three sites for annual Clean the Bay Day June 1st

Volunteers Needed for Clean the Bay Day

City of Richmond hosting three sites for annual event on June 1st

Richmond, VA (May 17, 2019) – Thousands of volunteers and dozens of partner organizations are needed from the Eastern Shore to the Shenandoah Valley to join in the major annual effort to pick up litter from Virginia waterways during Clean the Bay Day this June. RVAH2O, the James River Park System, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) will celebrate the 31^st Clean the Bay Day this year on Saturday, June 1, from 9 a.m. until 12:00pm at Great Shiplock Park, Ancarrow’s Landing, and Reedy Creek. Volunteers can now register online for all site locations.  RVAH2O will be hosting volunteers at the Great Shiplock Park location.

“We are proud to be joining so many dedicated volunteers and hosting a site for Clean the Bay Day.  Our involvement speaks to our dedication to bring cleaner water faster to Richmond and its citizens through our RVAH2O initiative,” said City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities Director Calvin Farr

Last year, more than 6,000 volunteers on foot and in boats participated in Clean the Bay Day, removing about 130,000 pounds of litter and debris along well over 300 miles of shoreline.

There are many cleanup locations across Virginia, including on the Eastern Shore, in Hampton Roads, Northern and Central Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, at many state parks, and other sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Early registration is advised. To register at a site near you, visit www.cbf.org/clean. Registering online for a cleanup at one of the participating state parks gets you free entry to the park the day of the event.

CBF is also seeking partner organizations to organize cleanups at new locations across Virginia. Businesses, nonprofits, civic groups, and churches can help launch a new cleanup site and create a real benefit for their community and the environment. For more information contact Karen Jacklich at kjacklich@cbf.org or (757) 644-4117.

Major corporate sponsors for Clean the Bay Day include the REI Co-op and River Network/Anheuser Busch, with additional support from Allegra Marketing Print Mail/Image 360, Chesapeake Bay Roasting Co., Pender & Coward, P.C., and Port of Virginia.

About RVAH2O

RVAH2O (http://www.rvah2o.org/) is a public education initiative dedicated to integrating wastewater, stormwater and the combined sewer system under one watershed management program as a means of achieving cleaner water faster for Richmond residents. We’ve developed an innovative partnership between city government and passionate citizens, and we’re making progress every day to reduce pollution, decrease flooding, and keep Richmond’s waters fishable and swimmable.

Follow RVAH2O on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Earth Day at Henderson Middle: Turning Waste Into Something You Can Taste

In celebration of Earth Day, the City of Richmond’s Sustainability Office paid a visit to Henderson Middle School to talk about climate change. On April 23, 2019, a class of seventh-graders learned about RVAgreen 2050, the City’s integrated adaptation, mitigation and equity-centered climate action planning initiative to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 and help the community adapt to Richmond’s climate impacts, and how our daily actions can either have a positive or negative impact on the environment. 

The conversation with students focused on how they can play a small, yet important role in helping the city reach its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals by reducing waste and conserving water. Students were introduced to the concept of composting food and yard waste at home and at school to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfills. They also learned how to use rain barrels to conserve water and reduce water pollution. 

The class received a compost bin and rain barrel that students decorated with environmental messages and images. To bring the climate conversation full-circle, students were also gifted pencils with tomato seeds at the base instead of erasers, which can be planted after use in the school's community garden and fertilized with the compost collected in their new bin.

City E-Cycle Day on May 18

The City of Richmond’s E-Cycle Day offers City residents an efficient option to recycle paper and to help keep hazardous waste materials out of city waterways, streams and rivers. This free event is available to city residents – proof of residency is required. Recycling supports the City’s RVAgreen 2050 climate action initiative to reduce citywide carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050 and RVA H2O, the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities plan for cleaner water faster for all of Richmond.