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The 2003 International Coastal Cleanup was a HUGE success this year with almost 1000 volunteers taking part on Sept. 20. They collected almost 56,000 pounds of trash from 104 miles of rivers, lakes and streams. Erie expanded from almost 200 people to 650 people this year, adding 9 additional sites around Erie County. Many new sites were added around the state. Click here to see the final results from 2003. One of the most unusual items found this year was a homeless man living in an abandoned "Port-A-Potty" at Lake Erie. The Erie County groups were also featured on GreenWorks.tv, part of the PA DEP, and on GreenWorks web page. If you know of any watershed organizations, Scout troops, dive clubs, canoe clubs, environmental groups, or schools in your area who might like to take part in a world-wide project, please contact State Coordinator Leni Herr. (All pictures are being used with verbal permission from all participants)
2002 ICC Info The PA ICC for 2002 showed additional growth over previous years with new cleanup sites. Participants ranged in age from 9 to over 70 years old. One site had as few as 3 people, while another site had 186 people. A third site had a family of five as the only volunteers! One new dive group participated in an underwater cleanup at Presque Isle State Park. A total of 398 volunteers came out to collect over 8000 pounds of trash at 10 different locations around the state, cleaning 59 miles of streams A group of new volunteers in Pine Grove found more trash than expected. They had one person take an accidental dip in the creek after finding a deep hole in a chilly creek. They also lost one volunteer, who was finally missed at lunch. He had gone down to the creek to wash off the mud while the rest of the team took off. He was found resting in the shade of a large oak tree, patiently waiting for a ride! A Sierra Club group, in their 7th year doing the cleanup, had 38 people in 15 canoes cleaning islands in the middle of the Susquehanna River. Once again, the data cards came back wet and muddy, with some missing, as usual. There was also a high school environmental sciences group take part this year for the first time. Teacher Dan McKelvery led 20 students who did the cleanup from canoes on the Delaware River. Strange items collected included a silicone breast implant, a door, a grenade, a recliner, a shopping cart, IV bag, patio table, and a half-formed human fetus! The Pennsylvania 2003 ICC will triple in size this year! We have 31 sites with over 1200 volunteers who will be taking part in the International Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 20. Leni
Herr
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