Many Hands Make Light Work: University Park’s Stream Clean-Up

4/16/21 Update: This year’s stream clean-up is Saturday, April 17th, 9am at the University Park Town Field & is hosted by the UP Sustainability Committee. (They’ll provide the trash bags; byo work gloves and rain boots!) 

Wells Run, a small tributary of the Northeast Branch of the Anacostia River that runs through University Park (UP), can get quite dirty from time to time. Candy wrappers here. Plastic bags there. Hub cap there, too (srsly). When it gets to this point, I usually start mumbling something about how somebody should really do something about all this garbage. Somebody should coordinate a clean-Stream Clean-Up.  Pointing fingers everywhere except inward. Thankfully, there are folks like UP’s Jodi Cohen and Scott Bolden who think and act otherwise.

University Park Stream Clean-Up

UP’s Scott Bolden & Jodi Cohen, Stream Clean-Up Organizers Extraordinaire!

Last month, Jodi & Scott invited groups, residents and friends to bring ready hands to beautify our park and the stream. Maybe it was the promise of free coffee and doughnuts or maybe it was just an interest making the stream look lovely again – either way, over the course of approximately two hours, about 60 volunteers came out to remove 34 trash bags worth of garbage. 👏

According to Jodi, “this year’s ‘treasures’ included a giant parking space stopper, a fishing rod, 2 1/2 pairs of socks, a Luxury apartment sign, and far too much packaging from 7-11.” I’ll also add the hub cab below to the list of treasures!

Shout-out to the University Park Civic Association, who sponsored the event with assistance from the Town Police and Public Works departments. 👏 The clean-up is coordinated with the area-wide Alice Ferguson Foundation‘s 30th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. 👏

Free coffee + doughnut = I’m there!

Also, shout-out to fantabulous neighbor Aida Maru, who stopped by to leave some freshly made scones for all the volunteers. 👏 All while caring for a wee infant. #superwoman.

This Stream Clean-Up is yet another example of how our Route One communities rock!