Volunteers sought for annual riverfront cleanup

A riverfront cleanup day is scheduled for May 13 from 10 a.m. to noon, the latest of several such efforts along the Tuscarawas riverbank in Dover.

Dover Fire Chief and Canal Dover Association Vice President Russell Volkert said that as previous efforts at cleaning up the area have been very successful in removing the worst debris, this year will see a slightly lighter list of tasks.

“It’s actually a pretty good situation,” Volkert said. “We’ll have some debris, weeds and small branches to deal with, but the area is looking pretty good. In addition to the cleaning up, we’ll be looking for volunteers to do some area preparation and grass seeding.”

Volkert has been active in seeking grant funds for the riverfront project and has helped to raise about $1,560,000 in total grants. A new riverfront park has opened this year just off Front Street with an overlook, boat launch and picnic tables.

The cleanup is organized by Kyle Valentini of Dover in conjunction with Rural Action and the Canal Dover Association. Valentini also noted the kind of cleanup in the new park is different than in the past.

“In past years we have found larger items like tires, bikes and even mattresses,” she said. “The most common items we find are single-use beverage containers. Once empty they are lightweight and can easily travel downstream as river waters rise and fall. Even the wind can carry them. These bottles are recyclable, and for every pound of plastic that gets recycled, there is an 84 percent reduction in the energy needed to create new plastic.”

Valentini said a rethinking of waste disposal in daily life is needed to curb the amount of trash sent to landfills or littering the landscape, parks and rivers.

“We need to find ways to make recycling easy for people,” she said. “Simply putting recycle cans in public places is a start. Kids learn about recycling at school, but then schools do not insist on implementing it. I’ve attended sporting events at our local schools where trash cans are overflowing while one lone recycling can in an inconspicuous area sits virtually empty. The same goes for local parks. We need to change that culture and make recycling the natural thing to do.

In a perfect world we would recycle the plastic waste we find during the cleanup, but unfortunately much of it has already begun to break down and is no longer useable. The key is to prevent the plastic from ever entering the environment in the first place.”

She said cleanup volunteers would likely encounter weeds. “This year volunteers are focusing on the north bank. Along with trash pickup we will pull out any invasive species we find. Last year garlic mustard was everywhere.”

The park is the site of the annual Tuscarawas River Canoe & Kayak Race coming up July 8. Race coordinator Mary Jo Monte said 113 people participated in the all-day river event last year.

“There’s the race, music, food and a fun in the sun poker paddle where people compete for small prizes and paddle for fun over a short distance,” Monte said.

Registration for the race can be made at the Tuscarawas River Canoe & Kayak Race Facebook page or at www.canaldover.org.