Mini-sweeps at 3 trash hot spots yielded an impressive amount of trash from the creeks over the President’s Day weekend.

Altogether, 101 volunteers hauled 118 bags of trash, 8 bags of recyclables, and a large number of bulk trash items such as shopping carts, bike frames and wheels, ladders, paint cans, furniture, lumber, a mattress, tires, etc.

Thank you to the Ed Murtagh and Nick Clements for coordinating these events, to the stewards who led the cleanups at the three sites – Susan DeFord (Wheaton Branch ponds), Lyn Hardy and Kristin Zimmer (Sligo at Rt. 410 East/West Highway), and Chris Richardson (Piney Branch and Sligo) – and to all the volunteers who came out on a beautiful day to do a lot of good!


Thanks everyone for a great day of cleanup in Sligo Creek!

A volunteer showing the long gutter extension tubes someone had thrown into the Wheaton Branch stormwater ponds. Kids picking up litter at the Wheaton Branch ponds on President's Day 2024 People in the distance picking up trash on several of the pond banks.

Two volunteers surveying the many trash bags and pile of bulky items retrieved from the Wheaton stormwater ponds during the President's Day cleanup People sweeping the Wheaton stormwater ponds of litter amid the brush.

Wheaton Branch Ponds Clean up, above, led by Susan DeFord, FOSC Board member and Steward. (Photos -Susan DeFord)

Smiling woman holding her dog next to the trash bags she filled with litter at the Section 1 Sweep. A mini sweep at the litter hot spot at Sligo Creek and East West Highway (Route 410) on Feb. 19, 2024. People signing in and getting gloves and trash bags to start sweeping the creek of litter.

A dad and two energetic helpers with grabbers and trash they collected. Ryan demonstrating a great technique for carrying a chair - upside down on his head. Two volunteers with bags of trash they cleared from Section 1 of Sligo Creek during the President's Day cleanup.

Sligo at East/West Highway clean up, above, pulled 80 bags of trash from the creek and park. Led by Kristin Zimmer, FOSC Board member and steward, and Lyn Hardy, FOSC Steward. (Photos – Kristin Zimmer and Shana)

Pile of bags filled with trash removed from Section 4 of Sligo Creek.

Piney Branch sweep led by Chris Richardson, FOSC Steward. Note the many chunks of concrete someone pulled out of the creek and dragged to the trash pile. (Photo – Chris Richardson)