Back in late February, after a heavy rainfall, I went to check on the Hwy 301 boat ramp before a cleanup and noticed four fifty-five gallon blue drums just off the ramp stuck in bushes in the river.
This inspired an idea. Compared to the surrounding counties, Bulloch County’s boat ramps are underserved. There is typically a high amount of trash usually present all over the boat ramp sites that are underbuilt or a trashcan is absent. For this project, I placed trash cans at the boat ramps. The cans are managed by myself and local volunteers, being emptied on a monthly basis. The hope is that the implementation of the trash cans at these will help make a difference in the overall appearance and quality at each of these sites.
I was able to retrieve all of discarded blue barrels them and clean them for use and I sourced additional one from a local business who buys and resells old barrels from a food processing plant. I then began repurposing them.First, using an electric drill, I made a hole near the top just below the edge of the lid. Then I used a jigsaw with a PVC blade to cut the lid off the rest of the barrel. From there, I drilled five holes with a quarter inch drill bit to help make the trash can predator-proof and more accessible for people. There are additional holes on the bottoms of the trash cans as well for drainage when it rains.
The barrels have the logos of Georgia Southern University (where I’m enrolled) and Ogeechee Riverkeeper (who I’m doing the practicum project with). The goals are to reduce the amount of litter entering the waterways via the human population from boat ramps and to make people more aware of their social responsibility in the outdoors.
In partnership with Keep Liberty Beautiful (KLB) and Hinesville Downtown Development Authority (HDDA), Ogeechee Riverkeeper (ORK) will co-host a Rivers Alive litter cleanup.
Volunteers will meet in a central location in Hinesville for supplies and instructions before being assigned specific spots for cleanup.
This event is limited to 30 participants. Volunteers should register in advance.
All CDC guidelines regarding Covid-19 will be followed for this event.
About Rivers Alive Rivers Alive is Georgia’s annual volunteer waterway cleanup event that targets all waterways in the state, including streams, rivers, lakes, beaches, and wetlands. The mission of Rivers Alive is to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia’s water resources. Rivers Alive is held annually each fall and is a program of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division Outreach Program.
Visitors leave beer cans and half-burned trash on the banks of the Ogeechee River.
ORK is encouraging families and households to adopt a spot on the river and commit to checking it for litter regularly.
One of the busiest, and messiest, places along the river is the landing. From constructed boat ramps to informal sandy spots to put in, these are heavily trafficked areas and tend to accumulate trash.
Our goal is to have each location ‘adopted’ by a dedicated crew who will make sure the litter is collected and disposed of properly.
ORK will provide documents for volunteer hours, if needed.
Volunteers will:
Choose a location to adopt
Cleanup the location at least once per month
Take before and after photos
Young Clean Water Warriors L to R: Shelby, Liam, Emme, Leighton, Finn, Jade, and Lauren.
Before heading out, consider the weather and prepare appropriately. Also be advised an ORK staff member will not be in attendance. This clean-up project will be “at your own risk.”
Interested volunteers should visit the map for possible spots to adopt then contact Melanie Sparrow, education and outreach coordinator.
