Volunteers vest up Saturday morning to collect litter in Salisbury

SALISBURY, Md. – If you’re ever driving around Wicomico County and see volunteers in high-visibility vests busy picking up roadside litter, you’re probably looking at Wicomico Clean or the Salisbury Green Team.

Volunteers Vest Up

Saturday morning, volunteers gathered at Schumaker Park in Salisbury to fan out across the city and look for litter to collect. From food and drink packaging, to tarps, dirty diapers, and even a wallet containing a driver’s license, volunteers had their hands, and buckets, full.

And, they’ve been at it since January.

“When somebody comes out once, that’s great and they’re a part of it. If someone comes out every time, that’s wonderful, too,” said Wicomico Clean organizer, Bruce Robson. “Long term, it’s about momentum; it’s about keeping at it.”

Teaching Important Lessons

Several volunteers showed up Saturday with their children in tow, and a lesson to teach about environmental stewardship. Wicomico Clean organizer, Mark Engberg, says instilling those values in children as early as possible will be one of the keys to a cleaner county.

“Something’s got to change—it really does,” Engberg said. “It’s education, it’s cultural, and it’s going to take a generation to get people on board with this movement.”

The mission, however, is bittersweet.

“It’s rewarding, it really is,” Engerberg said, “but it can be disappointing when you go back a month or two later and it’s littered again.”

Looking Ahead

And, Robson says that the battle against litter will be a long game. However, the more that volunteers vest up, and dedicate their care to the community, the brighter he says the future looks.

“This is not going to be a short-term thing,” Robson said. “Just picture a clean county, and picture being able to say that Wicomico County is the cleanest county on the Eastern Shore.”

“That’s the goal,” Engberg agreed.

If you want to get involved, Wicomico Clean organizers say you can find future clean-up dates and additional information about litter removal on their Facebook page.