DETROIT – Earth Day is on Tuesday, but community projects are launching ahead of the big day, including a cleanup at Dequindre Cut.
“It’s great to see a lot of people out,” said Alan Languirand, a volunteer.
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and its friends are celebrating Earth Day all month, including its annual Dequindre Cut Greenway cleanup.
“The more people who can experience it and see it, I think the better it is for everyone, from a healthy perspective as well as just a really great asset in the city that needs to be taken care of,” said Laura L’Esperance, another volunteer.
The pedestrian path is typically littered with families on strolls or bike rides, but this type of litter is something the conservancy doesn’t want to see.
Last year, the nonprofit reported collecting nearly a thousand pounds of trash.
Volunteers usually find pop cans and wrappers, but sometimes the oddest things get left behind such as bikes and license plates, according to the non-profit.
“We’ve even found wallets before, so it’s just kind of an assortment of things that make their way down to this space. It’s always fun when we can collect and see what we can find,” said David Michaels, volunteer manager for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.
While volunteers sign up for the cleanup, the conservancy hopes that more people will pick up after themselves year-round.
The conservancy is also celebrating Earth Day on Tuesday and later this month. For more information, click here.
