Sterling Foundation Project Clean Stream - April 22

Sterling Foundation Project Clean Stream

Clean-Up Date: April 22, 2023

Time: 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

Location: Sterling Middle School, 201 West Holly Avenue, Sterling, VA 20164, USA

The Sterling Foundation, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Sterling Community invites you to join us on Earth Day 2023 for a Stream Clean-up. Back in the 1950s, children fished and swam in the Cabin Branch and Muddy Branch streams. Help us remove trash and litter from waterways that feed the Cabin Branch Stream in the Sterling Park area. Easy access to the cleaning area and shallow water makes this event appropriate for all ages. All children, including students and youth groups, ages 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Group ratio recommendation is 1 adult per 8 students/children.

The starting location is Sterling Middle School, 201 West Holly Ave, Sterling, VA 20164, 8:30am-3:00pm. All participants must register at Sterling Foundation Project Clean Stream - Chesapeake Network. For more information, contact Norida Torriente at stream@sterlingfoundation.org or visit www.sterlingfoundation.org/stream.

For over 35 years, the nonprofit Sterling Foundation, has worked with a network of volunteers to beautify Sterling's surroundings, engage with neighbors, and foster a welcoming and inclusive community.

Trash bags will be provided. Gloves, grabbers, and team leader vest will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. Rubber boots, gloves, long sleeves, and long pants are strongly recommended. Clean water for reusable water bottles, a hand washing station and some snacks, lunch will be provided at 2:30 pm.

Every spring, tens of thousands of volunteers come together to pick up trash from local streams, creeks, rivers, parks, and neighborhoods as part of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Project Clean Stream — the largest cleanup event in the Chesapeake Bay region! Cleanups take place across the entire Chesapeake watershed, in all 6 Bay states and DC.

The long-term results of these clean stream projects are that when they are completed on an annual or semi-annual basis, there will be a tendency for less and less trash to have to be collected.

The local community will gradually get the idea that someone cares about the small streams and tributaries in Sterling. Maybe they will reconsider throwing batteries, construction material and car tires into our waterways. The benefits of working toward clean water go well beyond a vague feeling of accomplishment. Because clean water is the law of the land in the U.S., and has been since 1972, Sterling Park is obligated to try to do some degree of cleaning our streams before sending them on downstream to Broad Run and Sugarland Run and on to the Potomac River.

The clean-up effort will entail 2.5 miles of Cabin Branch stream running behind Maple Avenue and West Holly Avenue around the Sterling Park Golf Club (flows to Broad Run), as well as Muddy Branch stream along East Church Road between Lincoln Avenue and Dranesville Road.