Fully half of Virginia is drained by Chesapeake Bay rivers, and two-thirds of the state's population lives within the Bay watershed. From the farm fields of the Shenandoah Valley to the pinewoods of the Eastern Shore, for most Virginians the Bay is as close as the nearest creek or stream.

 

CBF's 24th ANNUAL CLEAN THE BAY DAY

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You can continue to Save the Bay throughout the year by becoming a better Bay steward at home.

1.  Speak Out! Let your voice be heard regarding important legislation affecting our Chesapeake Bay and rivers. Write or call your senators and congressional representative, urging them to vote in an environmentally responsible way.

2.  Natural Cleaners Only - use natural, non-toxic, phosphate-free cleaners like baking soda or borax with hot water for most household cleaning tasks. You’ll be reducing toxic chemicals in wastewater while saving money.

3.  Reduce Fertilizer Use - always get a soil test first to be sure what your lawn requires; use fertilizer sparingly, and only when necessary. Excessive fertilizers contribute to nitrogen and phosphorous overload in rivers and the Bay, which can lead to low oxygen levels and dead zones.

4.  Only Rain in Storm Drain – allow only rain to go down the storm drain and use a broom not a hose or power blower, to clean debris from decks, patios and driveways. You’ll save water, reduce emissions, and curb stormwater runoff.

5.  Bay-Friendly Car Care - take your vehicle to a commercial car wash or wash your car on an unpaved surface with phosphate-free soap so water soaks into the ground, not into the storm drain.

6.  Reduce Rain Runoff - direct rainwater away from paved surfaces; direct gutter downspouts onto lawn or flower beds, or into a rain barrel.

SAVE THE DATE!

24th Annual
CLEAN THE BAY DAY
Saturday, June 2th, 2012

Registration for Clean the Bay Day will be open by March 1, 2012

QUESTIONS? E-mail: ctbd@cbf.org


Thank you for a GREAT turnout!

THOUSANDS enjoy beautiul weather at sites throughout Virginia during Clean the Bay on June 4th, 2011.

6,500+ volunteers
500+ miles cleaned
200,000+ pounds of debris

 

With beautiful weather and a strong volunteer turnout, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's 23rd Annual Clean the Bay Day was another great success. On Saturday, June 4th, more than 6,500 volunteers from all over the Virginia portion of the Bay watershed descended simultaneously on shorelines and stream banks to pick up and remove harmful debris, litter, and trash.

In all, approximately 200,000 pounds of debris were removed from more than 500 miles of shoreline in just three hours, reports CBF Clean the Bay Day coordinator Tanner Council. The most common items found during the cleanup were plastic bottles, cans, and cigarette butts.  But household appliances, automobile parts and tires, and many other large, harmful items were a significant portion of the yield.  Volunteers were also surprised by many strange finds, including a lounge chair, a mannequin head, a voodoo doll, the kitchen sink, and a Frisbee that read "No Litter."

With over 60 partners, Clean the Bay Day requires intensive coordination. This year's effort included 15 cities and counties, 15 independent organizations, 11 military installations, and eight state parks. Fifteen state legislators or their staff representatives also participated, as did U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman, who helped pick up trash along the James River near Jamestown.

For the event, CBF relies heavily on committed corporate sponsors and in-kind donations. Our 2011 sponsors included Portfolio Recovery Associates (lead sponsor), CSX Transportation, Dollar Tree, HSBC, the Port of Virginia, Waste Management, River Network/Anheuser-Busch, Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital, and Volvo Penta.

Since 1989, Clean the Bay Day has engaged more than 115,000 volunteers, who have removed approximately 5.5 million pounds of debris from nearly 5,000 miles of shoreline.