18th Wethersfield Cove Cleanup Set

WETHERSFIELD — People who want to protect Connecticut's namesake waterway can join the Metropolitan District on Sept. 29 for the 18th annual Wethersfield Cove cleanup.

The event is part of the Connecticut River Conservancy's Source to Sea Cleanup, an annual one-day trash cleanup of the Connecticut River system. Thousands of volunteers across Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire will spend the day cleaning up trash and debris from the river.

“Last year we removed over a ton of garbage from the area,” Nick Salemi, a spokesman for the MDC, said. “Attendance has grown significantly in the last few years with approximately 100 volunteers coming to the Cove.”

Volunteers should meet at the Wethersfield Cove boat launch at 8 a.m. Volunteers are advised to wear boots, long pants and long sleeved shirts that they don't mind getting dirty. The cleanup will take three hours.

“MDC provides the volunteers with garbage bags, gloves, pickers and rakes for removing trash and debris from along the Cove's shore and watershed area,” Salemi said. “Plastics are collected separately and trash is deposited in a dumpster brought on site for the day.”

Salemi said the Wethersfield Cove was selected as a clean up site because of its proximity to I-91.

“The Cove area used to attract a lot of trash,” he said. “It's a great way to give back to the community that we serve and its also a way to demonstrate that we take our responsibility as environmental stewards seriously.”

Volunteers under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by an adult. Salemi said that the MDC will sign off on any community service hours worked at the cleanup.

Similar cleanup events hosted by local groups, scouting organizations and businesses will be held across Connecticut that Saturday.

To volunteer with the MDC cleanup, contact Julie McLaughlin at 860-2787850 or jmclaughlin@themdc.com.