2021 International Coastal Clean-up Event Host at Walnut Creek Access Area

 The annual ICC is the oldest and largest volunteer shoreline cleanup of its kind, but without the dedicated participation of groups like the Pennsylvania Steelhead Association, who serve as site coordinator at Erie County’s Walnut Creek Access area, this event wouldn’t be the annual success that it is. For the 9th year in a row the PSA was in charge of the Walnut Creek Access area. Site coordinator Sam Zacour had lots of help from Ariadne Capotis and Rich Sherwin getting things organized and plenty of volunteers from the PSA and FishUSA, among others to aid in the cleanup. This year 28 people helped fill 12 trash bags with 118.5 lbs. of trash! Totaling the last 8 years at Walnut Creek Access the PSA has overseen 159 people picking up 1163 lbs. of trash! Averaging to over 145 lbs. per year! Thanks to all that pitched in this year! Way to be Great Lakes Proud!

The International Coastal Cleanup began more than 30 years ago,  when 15 communities rallied together with the common goal of collecting and documenting the trash littering their coastline. The Lake Erie Coastal Cleanup was established in 2003 on Presque Isle State Park, conducted as a volunteer effort to raise awareness, build partnerships and reconnect people to their environment. Erie County has participated since 2003, with close to a total of 20,000 volunteers cleaning up over 135,000lbs of trash, which includes results from the recent 2021 ICC event. Please accept our continued gratitude from the Erie County Department of Planning & Community Development, Keep Erie County Beautiful and the Pennsylvania Coastal Resources Management Program. Thank you for your dedication and we look forward to your participation in the 2021 ICC event. In the meantime, please visit us on Facebook and remember to like and share our page: https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/international-coastal-cleanup/

ICC stats from the past . . .  The 2017 ICC cleanup at the Walnut Creek Access area was a group of 14 volunteers picked up 8 bags of garbage weighing almost 60 lbs. We also found 3 big truck tires too heavy to get up the bank, so we reported those to the PFBC maintenance dept.

In 2018 the PSA and our 15 volunteers at the Walnut Creek Access and Marina picked up 127.7 lbs. of trash, including some large construction type materials. The top item was again Cigarette butts with 1,697 butts picked up for recycling by the TREC center. Plastic pieces were the next common item with 221, and Foam pieces was third at 194.

In 2019 we had 19 volunteers work about 2 hours each and collect 9 bags of trash totaling 78.2 lbs.! Cigarette Butts were still the top item picked up but also a lot of beverage cans and bottles, plastic lids and caps, as well as food wrappers, straws, plastic bags, foam pieces, plastic cigar tips, take out containers and fishing line. Construction type materials made up the bulk of larger items.

In 2020 we had a record high of 34 volunteers that worked at least 1 and a half hours each and picked up 17.5 bags of trash. The total weight picked up was 285 lbs., which include some large item that could not be put in trash bags (refrigeration tank, car suspension with springs, and a few large tires)! The top item as always was cigarette butts (3,319) Totaling the last 7 years at Walnut Creek Access the PSA has overseen 131 people picking up 1045 lbs. of trash! Averaging to over 149 lbs. per year!