2021 Earth Day Cleanup: A Successful Day of Stewardship!

2021 Earth Day Cleanup: A Successful Day of Stewardship!

Six tires, a shopping cart and 116 bags of trash. This is what our volunteers collected on April 24, in an effort to prepare the Gardens for peak season and pay homage to Mother Earth. The Earth Day clean up, in partnership with Anacostia Watershed Society, was a major success and we are thankful for the hours of service volunteers provided to ensure the Gardens continue to be a sanctuary for our neighbors, visitors and tourists. For so many, Earth Day is an opportunity to take stock of nature, advocate for climate justice, and spruce up our gardens and communities. But what about the other 364 days? We love to remind the community at large that this very unique National Park requires regular care and attention to remain the gem that it is: the nation’s only National Park devoted to aquatic plant life. That means weeds must be extracted from our 44 ponds, paths are clear from debris, and trash is regularly collected in order for animals and -people alike- to enjoy the seasonal gifts that the Gardens provide.

Earth Day cleanup along the Anacostia River! We had a fantastic group of volunteers who were eager to get their gloves dirty and get the bank clean

 

Just ask Julia Luthringer who participated in our March clean up with 39 other volunteers. The former Kenilworth community resident, rolled up her sleeves along with her sister, to clean up the Gardens that she recalls venturing through as a child. Before grabbing her gloves and trash bags, she spoke to us, reminding current neighbors to reclaim the Gardens as a place of luxury and solace – no matter the season. “Nature is beauty,” she said.

We concur. And we challenge you to regularly support the Gardens by visiting, volunteering, or making a donation. Because for us, every day is Earth Day.

With an eagerness few have matched, our volunteers hauled over 100 bags of trash, six tires, and an entire shopping cart out of the Anacostia River and surrounding area of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens! Nice work!

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