Save The River's Trash Free River Cleanup

Save The River’s Trash Free River Cleanups

Save The River has been cleaning up shoreline and boat slips for several years on both sides of the upper St. Lawrence River in an ongoing effort to make the St. Lawrence River “swimmable, fishable, and drinkable now and for generations to come”. These cleanups are community-based and volunteer oriented focused on the shore and water 10 feet inland of the shoreline and out into the River.

Our first annual cleanup effort is made possible thanks to the Leonard C. & Mildred F. Ferguson Foundation.

The problems of trash in the water of the St. Lawrence River have been well documented and can be observed on a daily basis by islanders and boaters. Removing plastics and other man-made debris from the St. Lawrence River is a pressing concern and with our Trash Free River cleanup we hope to start an annual tradition of shoreline and River bottom cleanups removing a major source of pollution from The River.

2021 Dates

Friday & Saturday, June 11th-12th – Wellesley Island

Thursday, August 12th – Chippewa Bay

Learn more or register today!

How it works:

• • Teams will register in advance and will be assigned their cleanup areas in advance. They will be able to pick up their cleanup kits and t-shirts in advance via a no-contact solution at Save The River’s office. Releases must be signed prior to participation in the cleanup

  • Day Of:

    • Check-in if needed day of

    • Teams are at the assigned location by the designated time to start the cleanup

    • Disposal of all/final trash by teams at a time TBD.

  • Each day the cleanup area will be split into designated 12-15 zones.

  • Teams of 3-5 will work together along the shore and from the water via kayaks to clean up areas up to 10 ft “above and below” the shoreline

  • Teams will be given a cleanup kit with trash bags and trash grabbers and other necessary items to safely remove trash from the shoreline and water.

  • There will be a designated area for teams to dispose of their collected trash

  • View Our COVID-19 Protocols for this event.

Who Can Participate?

• Save The River is encouraging local businesses to register a team, any business team will receive recognition on our website, social media, and in our semi-annual newsletter River Watch.

• Families are also encouraged to register as teams, this is a family-friendly event but anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

• Individuals are also encouraged to register and will be assigned to a team and a specific zone.

• Calling all kayakers! Save The River is hoping that our network of volunteers will help provide coverage from the water with your own personal kayak.

Learn more or register today!