Litter Committee is Working to Keep Clarke Clean; Can You Help?
By John Keim
Since its first meeting in November 2021, the five-member Clarke County Litter Committee has met monthly with one goal in mind: Find ways to keep the county beautiful. The committee has conducted multiple cleanup days; tried to raise awareness about the importance of picking up litter; and considered
long-term solutions.
The committee held its first cleanup day in March 2022 in Chet Hobert Park. Local Girl Scouts pitched in on a cold, gray day and worked for hours. Other cleanup days in April, October, and November focused on the boat landings under the Va. 7 and U.S. 50 bridges over the Shenandoah River and the busy Va. 7 and U.S. 340 interchange in Berryville.
Committee members also volunteered at the Clarke County Fair, spending hours picking up trash around the grounds as well as in parking areas. Volunteers also handed out literature at the Clarke County Litter
Committee booth.
The committee has collaborated with Shenandoah Riverkeeper Mark Frondorf for cleanup days, and talked to area restaurants and other businesses about
using substitutes for polystyrene containers for takeout food. Committee members have looked into how other localities made the transition to using environmentally friendly materials so it does not hurt a business’s bottom line.
Committee members are currently working with county schools, asking students to create slogans and art to put on signs to remind folks not to litter.
The committee is in the
process of adopting a highway, which will require consistent cleaning and a need for more volunteers. The Litter Committee is also working with county residents to identify problem spots that need attention, whether picking up litter or providing
extra equipment.
Anyone who is interested in helping can do one of two things: Volunteer on Litter Committee outings, or simply pick up litter where you live. Make a day of it with your kids or neighbors. Everyone gets some exercise, and your neighborhood will look better. Keeping Clarke County clean is not someone else’s responsibility.
Every day our rural roads are littered with beer cans and fast food debris. Clarke is a gem of a county, and our collective goal should be to make it sparkle. We all need to do what we can.
The Litter Committee meets on the third Tuesday of every month to discuss the best ways to Clarke clean. Find the calendar of government meetings at www.clarkecounty.gov. If you want to participate in any way, contact the Litter Committee at (540) 955-5132 or
litterfree@clarkecounty.gov.
Pitch in to Clean Clarke on April 15
The Clarke County Litter Committee hosts its next boat ramp cleanup beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 15. Volunteers will start at Castlemans Ferry (under Va. 7), then go to Lockes Landing (Rt. 621), and then Berrys Ferry (under U.S. 50). The Litter Committee recommends young volunteers be at least 10-years old, but parents must decide if their children should work along roadways. All volunteers must sign waiver forms in advance. Go to www.clarkecounty.gov/government/boards-commissions/litter-committee.
Volunteers who help with two Litter Committee clean up events this year will receive a free cargo net for pickup trucks. Cargo nets help prevent trash and other items from flying out of the truck and littering our roads.
Contact the committee at litterfree@clarkecounty.gov with questions, to sign up, and/or to submit a completed waiver. Details will be sent upon registration, including a rain date if necessary.
