Saturday will mark the second straight weekend where residents can get out and help clean up where they play. It’s National Public Lands Day and 30 events are scheduled around Oregon to make what officials are calling “important improvements” to well used areas.
In Douglas County, it’s the 29th year of the Umpqua Basin Cleanup. Ariel Hiller with the Roseburg BLM office says this year’s focus in litter control… and people get a lot more out of it than a cleaner riverside.
Ariel Hiller – “They can get a better sense of investment in their own community, and when people are invested in where they live, they want to take care of it. They want to make sure that they show their pride in it. Laughing and having fun as you drag those random bags of fast food up out of the ditch does build a sense of community.”
Nearby projects include a cleanup at the Yaquina Head Natural Area in Newport and an estuary rehabilitation in Charleston. Specific times and locations are listed online at www.publiclandsday.org.
(Thanks to Chris Thomas and Oregon News Service for this story)