Lake Lanier Shore Sweep: Between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on September 14, people from several neighboring counties will converge along the shores and on the waters of Georgia’s Lake Lanier. The goal is to cover as much of the 38,000 surface acres and 690 miles of shoreline in just five hours for the 31st Annual Lake Lanier Shore Sweep. During the yearly cleanup event, volunteers span out from a dozen locations – some on foot and some by boat – picking up litter all along the way to help keep their communities beautiful and protect the environment. Partners for this event include Lake Lanier Association, Keep Hall Beautiful, Keep Dawson County Beautiful and Keep Forsyth County Beautiful. The Gwinnett County leg of the cleanup will be based at Gwinnett Park. In addition to the Gwinnett Park event, Lake Lanier Association will host shore sweeps at eleven other trash collection sites including War Hill Park in Dawson County, Bald Ridge and Port Royale Marinas in Forsyth County, and Aqualand Marina and Lanier Islands in Hall County, among others. For more information and a full listing of trash collection sites, please visit www.lakelanier.org.
Yellow River Trash Bash: Approximately 50 miles long, running from Gwinnett, through DeKalb, Rockdale, and Newton counties before ending in Lake Jackson, the Yellow River Water Trail is one of 16 Georgia Water Trails certified by Georgia River Network. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on September 14, organizers and concerned citizens will gather at Gwinnett’s Yellow River Park Pavilion at 3232 Juhan Road in Stone Mountain. A handful of experienced kayakers/volunteers will take to the water while other volunteers fan out along the shoreline and park by foot – collecting litter all along the way. Lunch and t-shirt will be provided to volunteers. Volunteers must be 14 or older to participate. In addition to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, partners for this event include Yellow River Water Trail, Rivers Alive and Gwinnett County’s Departments of Parks & Recreation and Water Resources. To register as a volunteer, please visit www.tinyurl.com/YRtrashbash2019.
“Lake Lanier is without a doubt one of our most important and precious water sources – not just for the drinking water it provides our citizens and its distinction as one of Georgia’s most beloved recreational destinations, but also for the key role it plays in our ecosystem,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “The Yellow River is not only a gorgeous element of Georgia’s landscape, but the nonprofit Yellow River Water Trail has placed an emphasis on creating fun events to introduce people to this environmental treasure. Countless creatures from our local wildlife call Lake Lanier and the Yellow River home, from fish and waterfowl to deer and everything in between. It’s our job to protect them by protecting both bodies of water and that’s a BIG job. We’ll need lots of volunteers to come out and join us that day at one of these events. We’d love to have as many boaters as we can get so we can keep on top of as much pollution floating on the water as possible. Participation in the Shore Sweep and Trash Bash is a great way to meet neighbors, set an awesome example for your kids and enjoy some natural beauty while giving back to the community. We’re so happy to be working on these endeavors once again with the amazing folks at Lake Lanier Association and Yellow River Water Trail, as well as our Gwinnett County partners and our fellow Keep America Beautiful affiliates at Keep Hall Beautiful, Keep Dawson County Beautiful and Keep Forsyth County Beautiful.”
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 and its mission of “Connecting People and Resources for a Sustainable Gwinnett,” please visit www.GwinnettCB.org.
