Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge hosts annual litter cleanup for National Public Lands Day

CAMBRIDGE, Md. – The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge hosted an annual litter cleanup for National Public Lands Day on Saturday.

Many volunteers came out to Blackwater to pick up trash that affected the roadsides.

Volunteer Coordinator, Michele Whitbeck said, getting the volunteers together helps the whole wildlife habitat. “National Public Lands Day is the single largest day of volunteer efforts on public lands and it’s wonderful and we have a wonderful group of volunteers out here today helping pick up litter on roadsides around the refuge”

Empty soda cans, plastic bags, and fishing lines littered the roads for many years. Whitbeck says the different types of litter have been huge disadvantages for wildlife.

“Litter can be a detriment to people or when they visit the refuge, but it’s also a hazard to wildlife they’re attracted to it, often hit by vehicles as a result of that or they get tangled in the debris, whether it be fishing line or other types of debris.”

Students from Easton High School, also participated in the cause, many of them racked up community hours for the school year, Kayden Rigney said, hopefully, their efforts show how important a clean environment can be, “It’s probably because people don’t come back here a lot and so they just think they can throw trash, and it doesn’t help the animals it endangers the animals more, and Blackwater wanted to help out and save the animals.”

Whitbeck thanks all of the volunteers, saying, “We are so grateful and lucky for their assistance in helping us in our mission which is protecting habitat for wildlife.”