Pearl River Clean Sweep is happening this weekend. Here's how you can help
The Pearl River Clean Sweep is happening this weekend, and it's an event that's making a difference. It's a community-wide volunteer effort that celebrates drinkable, swimmable water and it removes trash from almost 500 miles of the Pearl River.
"Pretty much anybody can come out and participate," said Abby Braman of Pearl Riverkeeper, a non-profit dedicated to improving the health of the Pearl River watershed. "We have 25 locations, land and water-based, that are open to all ages and abilities. They are located in communities all along the river."
The event began in 2017 when Braman of Madison and Jessica Gauley of Pearl River, Louisiana, connected through their concerns about the health of the watershed. The two organized volunteers and the cleanup that includes 490 miles of river from Nanih Waiya to the Gulf Coast. It spans 15 counties, two parishes and two states.
The event has been embraced by by those wanting to improve the environment. More than 3,800 people have participated.
"It's just an amazing event that brings people together from all walks of life," Braman said.
The amount of trash that has been removed by those participants is almost unimaginable — 151,000 pounds. Braman said that's roughly the weight of 10 African elephants or a Boeing 737 airplane.
"It's hundreds of tires that put contaminants into the water," Braman said. "It's refrigerators.
"We pulled a 4-wheeler out. A lot of this is legacy trash that's been there for decades before we started the cleanup."
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The trash isn't just unsightly. Braman that plastics, particularly styrofoam, break down into particles that are magnets for toxins in the water. Eventually these toxin-magnets enter the food chain through mussels, oysters, fish and other aquatic life.
And they don't go away. Braman said those particles will still be a risk 500 years from now.
Cleanup sites are also located on the Bogue Chitto and Strong rivers. Braman said volunteers who choose to be on the water use everything from boats to paddleboards.
The event starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
To find a cleanup site and register for the event, visit www.pearlriverkeeper.com.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Pearl River cleanup effort scheduled for Saturday. Here's how to help
