GROUP CLEAN-UP DAYS SCHEDULED
What’s improperly tossed out and left littered can end up in bodies of water, polluting aquatic ecosystems and harming wildlife.
To help keep local rivers, streams, and lakes clean the Mid-America Regional Council’s Water Quality Public Education Committee is encouraging Missourians to consider plogging.
“Plogging is an opportunity for those in our region to get out and get familiar with the environmental amenities that we have in our area,” said Natalie Unruh, a water quality planner for Mid-America Regional Council. “It is also an opportunity for people to clean up our trails and neighborhoods, so we can beautify them and appreciate the lands that we are on a little better.”
The term plogging was coined by Erik Ahlström. It’s a Swedish word referring to the act of running and picking up trash. Of course, running isn’t for everyone.
That’s why local plogging events are encouraging walkers, cyclists, and hikers to join this regional effort to remove litter from along the streams, lakes, and rivers to prevent contamination.
“Plogging is a great opportunity for people to get together and be with like-minded volunteers– folks that also care about the environment—to preserve the good land that we have,” said Unruh.
With just a few years under their belt, their efforts are effectively cleaning up our neighborhoods and restoring our waterways. During the first annual plog-a-thon event in 2019, participants picked up 283 pounds of litter, preventing plastic and other materials from entering our region’s bodies of water. Last year, there were 119 participants from across the metro.
“If we’re not picking up and taking care of the trash that’s on the land, then these discarded materials degrade and might leach toxins into our water, causing a negative effect for wildlife and we would like to mitigate that by getting out there and working with each other to improve our neighborhoods,” said Unruh.
The tagline “If it’s on the ground, then it’s in our waters” is indicative of the growing threat plastic trash and electronic waste have on our inland bodies of water. Solid waste pollution in streams and rivers can flow to the ocean.
This year, MARC has proclaimed the month of October as Plogtober, a month-long event aimed at cleaning up trash and other debris before it is carried by wind and rainfall to bodies of water. Many municipalities have teamed up with MARC and MO Stream Teams to be a part of the ongoing effort to inspire individuals to get outdoors and make a noticeable difference.
There are 23 local streamside trails people can select from across our region. Dedicated group cleanup dates have been set for Saturday, Oct. 14 and Oct. 21.
Volunteers attending some of the group cleanup events will be offered equipment and instruction on the day of the event, including the process of trash collection at the end of their plog.
“This is a county-wide competition between seven counties vying to see who can get the most volunteers over the entire month or on a specific day,” said Unruh. To earn more points for your county team, people can encourage their friends and co-workers to participate on Oct. 14 or Oct. 21.
In Platte County, the cleanup sites include Line Creek South, South Platte Trail, and English Landing Park. Jackie Halloran, recreation and marketing coordinator for Platte County Parks and Recreation, is overseeing the Southern Platte Pass cleanup on Oct. 17.
Participants can meet at a designated area to receive gloves and bags on the day of the event. Participants are encouraged to fill a grocery bag with trash while leaving any heavy discarded materials, sharp objects, or medical supplies on the ground.
In Riverside, Noel Bennion, capital projects and parks manager for the City of Riverside, will be hosting a group cleanup day along Line Creek Trail from Renner Brenner Park to EH Young Riverfront Park on Saturday, Oct. 14. “Participants in Riverside are asked to leave any trash collected in the cans available at the parks,” said Bennion.
If neither Oct. 14 nor Oct. 21st are convenient, participants can register as a virtual plogger, where they can go out on their own and pick up trash, share their haul on social media, and earn individual prizes.
All ploggers are encouraged to take pictures of the trash they collect and share their accomplishment with other ploggers and others on social media. Bragging rights about what a difference each plogging group made in their community will be up for grabs. The county with the most volunteers will be officially recognized as the Mid-America region’s Top Plogger.
The vast majority of the public erroneously assumes city workers are solely responsible for picking up garbage, rubbish, electronic waste, and construction waste. While they may do the lion’s share of solid waste removal, everyone can play a key role in removing trash and preventing it from interfering with local ecosystems.
To register for a pre-arranged cleanup site in your area visit: www.KCPlogtober.com or check out the latest information on Facebook at https://fb.me/e/2SPzKcDsc