Sweep That Creek

Bust out your Wellies - this weekend is the Friends of Sligo Creek's bi-annual Sweep the Creek event.

It's unfortunate, but someone needs to clean up after the subhuman garbage that deems it acceptable to dispose of their waste by tossing it out their car window on Sligo Creek Parkway. Garbage washed down Sligo Creek ends up in the Northwest Branch, which leads to the Anacostia, etc, etc, until it ends up in the ocean where it kills cute baby dolphins or something.


Help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

As I discovered on a recent river cruise, the Anacostia is little more than a liquid conveyor belt of trash. While our little watershed can't be blamed for all of that, the garbage that washes down Sligo Creek certainly contributes.

In addition to the warm feeling you get from single-handedly saving the earth, I've found that collecting trash in the park can be surprisingly fun. You can look at it as a treasure hunt or make it a competition to see who can collect the most litter. You might even find actual treasure. Last year someone discovered old farm equipment and the year before they removed an old Coca-Cola cooler. People pay good money for those things.



Unfortunately, the last time I participated, the biggest "treasure" I found was a tire I fished out of the creek, but maybe I'll have better luck this time around.

So, find the meeting place nearest to you on this map and be there Saturday (or Sunday for some sections) to lend a hand.