The annual “Sweep the Hooch” was again hosted by Don Carter State Park this Saturday. 25 patrons came together for the volunteer action event to retrieve trash from the Chattahoochee river.
Steven Ellis, president of Friends of the Park, said, “This is something that Riverkeepers set up… the state park decided to do it because it cleans up the park really well.”
The event was inspired by different organizations protecting the Chattahoochee, Flint, Savannah, and Altamaha rivers, collectively known as the Riverkeepers. Don Carter State Park works with the Riverkeepers in their designated area so the park can act as a host for the events the organization plans.
With the Riverkeepers help, “Sweep the Hooch” has been an active event since Don Carter State Park’s opening in 2013. The park’s website states that an average of 5 tons of trash gets cleaned from the park annually.
However, Ellis said that the patrons had been finding little trash. On Saturday, the park had accumulated about 1.5 tons of trash, which he described as a very good thing.
Park Manager Jamie Madden said most of the trash she saw that day were dock floats, car tires, a mattress and a lot of spilled household trash bags.
“Sweep the Hooch” volunteers had a choice in how they wanted to clean by either walking the park or going on the water. The patrons cleaning the river brought kayaks, paddle boards and small boats.
On land, the average walking radius for patrons was around 2 miles. Madden said volunteers on water usually travel further, between a radius of 3 – 5 miles.
Many people were pulling their kayaks in and out of the water early in the day. Ellis stated people show up because “it’s a feel good thing.” Snacks, water and trash cleaning equipment were provided from the park.
“I enjoy helping clean up this area,” one of the volunteers, Paula, said. She had been cleaning alone on her paddleboard.
Paula said she heard about the “Sweep the Hooch” event last year through the Riverkeepers Facebook page and was attending her second consecutive year.
The volunteer said she traveled 4 miles on the water and cleaned about 50 pounds of trash from the river.
“Little things that you can do add up to make a big difference.” – Paula, ‘Sweep the Hooch’ volunteer
The easiest way to discover more volunteering events at Don Carter State Park is to visit their Facebook page or the Riverkeepers Facebook page. Visit the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website to find volunteering events elsewhere.
