Volunteers Sought for UToledo Clean Your Streams Day Event

Volunteers Sought for UToledo Clean Your Streams Day Event

From crashed drones and artificial Christmas trees to antique glass bottles and bowling balls, there are some strange discoveries to be made in and around Toledo's waterways.

For the past two decades, volunteers from The University of Toledo have been picking up those oddities - alongside more common fare like candy wrappers, plastic shopping bags and aluminum cans - during the annual Clean Your Streams day in late September.

This year's event is scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, and organizers are again asking members of the campus community to pitch in.

"University of Toledo has such an amazing reputation for all the work our scientists have done to address water quality issues. This event is a chance for the rest of us to do our part," said Tim Niederkorn, assistant director of environmental health and radiation safety at UToledo and a longtime event volunteer. "It's a really good way for people to give back to the community and to make a positive impact on our environment."

UToledo will host one of seven kickoff events for this year's initiative, with volunteers meeting at the Law Center patio at 8 a.m. before heading to cleanup sites at North Expressway Drive and the area surrounding the Byrne Road Bridge near Health Science Campus.

Registration is required and can be done online through the Partners for Clean Streams website. Individuals do not need to be affiliated with the University to join. However, they do need to be at least 18 years old.

Parking is available in Area 12W, and transportation will be provided to and from the cleanup sites.

Volunteers will return to campus by noon - leaving plenty of time to tailgate ahead of the Rockets' 3:30 p.m. Homecoming matchup against Akron.

Clean Your Streams day was first held in 1997, and UToledo has hosted a cleanup crew annually since 2004. Last year, UToledo's 33 volunteers removed 700 pounds of debris.

"We've really valued the partnership of the campus, the study body and the University," said Jesse Stock, executive director of Partners for Clean Streams. "One of the biggest takeaways from this event is that it's not just about the debris, but the level of engagement we see from the community. It's something that gives our organization hope for the environment going forward."

Following the cleanup, all volunteers are invited to the Lucas County Fairgrounds for a picnic with free food, door prizes and community partner outreach tables.