Empty bottles of vodka. Crumbled bags of Cheetos. Scatterings of cigarette butts.
For some, all remnants of a good – albeit debauched – night.
Yet for 50 or so volunteers cleaning the banks of the Animas River on Sunday, the trash is a sad reminder of the careless littering that draws the need for such an event.
In its third year, the Water Justice Project-sponsored cleanup removed 1,286 pounds of trash from the banks of the Animas River running through city limits. The total haul from Sunday evening’s cleanup, exceeded the total last year, when volunteers picked up 1,100 pounds.
Jack Klim, an organizer, said the April numbers are probably so high because it’s the Water Justice Project’s first cleanup of the year. It will be followed by several other similar trash-removal days.
Organizers of the Water Justice Project – a Fort Lewis College student group – send about 20 to 30 volunteers to each end of town. They pick up trash as they work their way to the middle at Rotary Park.
“Basically, we’re trying to give something back to the Durango community,” Klim, a senior at FLC, said of the motivation in creating the event. “And it’s great to see how much people care about the environment.”
Jozi Campbell, also a senior at FLC, said the annual cleanup tries to bridge the gap between Durango and the college. In the wake of the Gold King Mine spill, she said any effort to improve the river’s health is important.
“We’re really trying to make this river enjoyable again,” she said.
Ashley King and Chris Martin, both FLC graduates, were making a sweep along the banks of Lightner Creek at the Durango Dog Park, near the intersection of U.S. highways 550 and 160.
The pair found a lot of plastic green bags filled with dog poop.
“It’s just really cool to give back to the community,” Martin said.
For the first time this year, Water Justice Project volunteers were able to separate trash and recyclables – even placing cigarettes butts in their own bag for a repurposing project.
Klim said a multitude of local companies contributed food, drinks and other resources to keep volunteer fueled.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
