ROANOKE,Va. – Clean Valley Council is teaming up with Roanoke Stormwater and Deschutes Brewery for its annual Tinker Creek Volunteer Cleanup on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon.
This year features some changes.
"We are trying to separate out the recyclables this time. So, Clean Valley is going to be there auditing the trash. So, we will be there dumping the trash out and pulling out the recyclables,” said Mary Ann Brenchick, executive director for Clean Valley Council.
Brenchick said this is a concentrated clean up, because this area needs it every year.
Tinker Creek is recovering from a chemical spill that happened just over a year ago. The spill contaminated the water and endangered wildlife.
Thanks to a $10,000 grant from the City of Roanoke, Cultural Arts Commission, Clean Valley will also create art from plastic bottles.
"There is going to be two of them (art pieces) and we have local artists working with us but the message is there so people still know it's a problem,” Brenchick said.
The goal of the cleanup is to educate the community and encourage changed behavior toward our water systems.
“Taking action is one piece and educating is the other piece. (Also), documenting the specifics people like that, and some like to hear the story. Some people like to be involved so it's those multiple ways you learn and that's where behavior changes come in,” Brenchick said.
For more information on how to sign up to clean the creek, follow this link.