Some of the participants in Saturday’s cleanup at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge and the trash they collected.
In a cleanup sponsored by Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, 35 volunteers braved the elements Saturday morning to pick up litter at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.
The Spring Sweep was part of the annual Great Lakes CleanUP, in which thousands across the Great Lakes region removed litter and collected data to protect waterways and other environmentally sensitive areas.
In all the group at the Iroquois refuge collected 41 contractor bags of trash an a few bulky items, including a tire. Some odd items found included an intact arrow and a lightbulb.
“Why someone threw a perfectly good lightbulb into the brush out here is anyone’s guess,” said Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge President Dick Moss, who participated in the cleanup.
Ranger Emily Kelly instructs the participants Saturday before the cleanup.
The volunteers were led by refuge Ranger Emily Kelly, who instructed the group on safety tips before they went out scavenging for trash.
“I want to thank everyone who participated,” said Moss. “This is the kind of volunteer stewardship that helps the refuge to survive and thrive.
“I’d also like to make a pitch to all to please not litter,” he said, “And teach your children not to litter. The evidence suggests that there are a lot of people who don’t have the sense to not litter in a national refuge.”
And if you are using the refuge and see trash, please help out, and pick it up and properly dispose of it if you can. If you can’t pick it up, for whatever reason, please reach out to Moss at heron@finwr.org and let him know where there’s an issue. Please be as specific as possible about what the issue and location is, so we don’t have to go hunting for it.
“We were only out there for a few hours, so we only made a dent,” Moss said. “I have no doubt there is a lot more out there. This is a national property. It belongs to all of us. And it behooves all of us to do whatever we can to keep it clean.”
Cleanup participants gather Saturday before heading out into various parts of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.
