Thousands of pounds of trash were cleared from the San Lorenzo River and nearby roads by volunteers from the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley last weekend in conjunction with the worldwide Coastal Cleanup.
About 6,650 pounds of trash were collected by 135 volunteers ranging in age from 4 to over 75 who participated in the 24th annual SLV River and Road Cleanup, according to organizer Nancy Macy.
“That’s almost 1,000 pounds more than last year,” Macy said.
Last year, volunteers removed 5,620 pounds of trash.
The cleanup was coordinated locally by the Valley Women’s Club in Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek and by SLV Citizens Organized for Responsible Ecology in Felton.
At the Felton Covered Bridge site, 60 participants bagged 1,712 pounds of trash, reported Beth Hollenbeck of SLV CORE.
Volunteers picked up more than a thousand cigarette butts, which otherwise would have gone down storm drains and into the ocean, Macy said.
In all of Santa Cruz County, 4,031 community volunteers collected more than 12,062 pounds of trash and 3,750 pounds of recyclables from beaches and waterways.
More students turned out to volunteer this year, including Matt O’Brien’s class from San Lorenzo Valley Middle School and several high school students in Key Club, according to organizers.
