It's become a semi-annual tradition for many, and many regulars show up each year to be a part of it. Volunteers of all ages come out to participate and this past Saturday was no exception with young and old alike donning old clothes and gloves, grabbing big orange trash bags...prepared to get dirty!
This event is something special; it's a chance for everyone to get involved and do their part. So much is accomplished in such a short time, working together as neighbors and friends, helping the community and showcasing how we can all do our part to be good stewards of our environment. This project brings people together who want to contribute to our community and show their appreciation for our natural resources by helping restore the natural beauty along our rivers and streams.
Sponsored by Gateway Streetscapes, the Smith River Winter clean-up was once again a huge success. No exact figures in yet on the amount of trash removed, but from past experience it must have been close to 8 tons. Every year the Smith River clean-ups are held in the summer and winter. Summer time is spent concentrating on removing trash directly from the river, while winter clean-ups are geared toward cleaning up illegal dump sites and anything along the banks of the river that folks can get to without getting wet.
Gateway Streetscape Foundation, Inc., is the driving force behind these efforts. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to enhance the area's aesthetic value through a series of programs including tree and flower planting, education for property owners in tree trimming, and has also expanded its mission to include recycling and litter control.
Every year Lois requests that people be on the look-out for illegal dumps and provide her office with possible suggestions for areas in need. This year The Dan River Basin Association had asked Gateway to direct some resources to the dump site at Morgan Ford Bridge for the Winter 2009 clean-up and the results were incredible. Back in January, we went out and did some recon work and three sites were chosen with Morgan Ford being the primary target. The other two sites were Cobb Creek off Irisburg Road the Middle Creek dump site in the Mitchell bridge area.
The plan was the same as last year, meet at Fisher Farm park to sign in, get directions, bags, gloves and split up into teams to head out to our respective sites. I was in charge of the Morgan Ford site this year, and I wanted to get as many hands down there as I could. I was not disappointed as I pulled out of the parking lot with a line of cars and trucks following.
I don't have a count as of yet to exactly how many people we had show up, but we definitely had over 5o people working on the 3 sites. A big 'thank you' goes to Skyline Tree Service as they brought 17 workers, 2 bucket trucks with winches and even a small skidder to help out. Much of this labor and equipment was put to use at the Morgan Ford Bridge site.
Others showing up to help were Blackberry District Supervisor, Jim Adams, representatives from Friends of Philpott, DRBA and other organizations, neighborhood groups, Henry County PSA staff, Gateway Staff and board members, Henry County and Martinsville public works staff and individuals. Lisa Hughes from VDOT brought traffic signs and also donated all the orange safety vests. A local landowner showed up with her children, and a trailer. Another local man showed up with his tractor which had a loader bucket on the front. This allowed us to bring trash from far up the riverside and transport it to the road where the boom trucks could pick it up.
Lois always does a great job getting the word out to the community, as well as, pulling together the resources of Henry County and Martinsville City employees and equipment. This small army accomplishes so much in a few short hours.
After an hour on site at Morgan Ford, the pile began to grow. A short three hours later and we had a mountain of trash. Car tires, truck tires, tractor tires, household refuse, busted TV sets, an assortment of animal carcasses in various stages of decay (Yep, they stink), sinks, lights, roofing, lumber, cans, bottles, toys, mattresses, drums, metal, paper, plastic, and everything else you can imagine. We even had folks down in the river pulling out tires and other trash. We winched and pulled and chained and hauled and bagged and stacked and dragged and piled until we had more trash then all 3 county trucks could hold. So much was collected that the county trucks will have to swing by Monday to grab the rest.
The last truck pulled away and we all headed back to Fisher Farm Park where another group of volunteers had hamburgers on the grill, and hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows for the hungry horde. It was a good day to be outside for a great cause. The Smith River at Morgan Ford is a really beautiful section of stream, and it's one of those wonderful old bridges where you still get a stunning view of the river as you cross. The historic old stone pilings from the original bridge stand as silent testament to an era gone by while the gray-speckled sycamores bow to the passing current.
I just kept thinking; people had to load this stuff up in their cars and trucks to get it to this site, so why couldn't they just take it on to a county collection facility? I just don't understand how people can be this disrespectful to their neighbors and the river. I guess they don't even realize that by polluting the environment, they are polluting themselves. These dumps are an eyesore but more importantly, they are detrimental to water quality along our rivers and creeks.
I wish people would take a few minutes to stand on a bridge near a river and watch the water flow and think about where it comes from and where it goes. Maybe then they would realize... We all live downstream.
Article and photos by: Brian Williams
Edited and posted by: Vicky Thomas
She also develops programs for her students to help teach them the importance of keeping trash and pollution out of our rivers and streams so we can have healthy water. One of her tools is a "Smart Board" program which is an interactive game allowing kids to go up to the screen and drag trash from the river. Each time they remove trash, an animal appears. The kids see the direct impact of pollution and wildlife. She then turns her attention to the trout tank and asks the kids if she should drop her empty soda can in the tank...they all scream "NO, you'll hurt the fish !" Yea, they get it!!
