This morning, 27 volunteers from Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail assisted the National Park Service with Trail cleanup. A major storm on October 29, 2021 caused the Potomac River to flood the trail, leaving behind trash and debris. We focused on a debris field about 200 meters long, just north of Belle Haven Park in Alexandria, Virginia, USA. The NPS requested our help with removing large trash items from the trail before they arrived with a Bobcat-mounted brush hog to clear the trail. Our volunteers removed a ridiculous amount of plastic and garbage from the trail and filled nearly two dozen bags for the NPS to haul away.
Achievements:
Achievements:
- We responded to the NPS request with less than 24 hours notice, getting the word out quickly via social media and networking.
- We got the trail section reopened.
- We greatly reduced the amount of plastic & trash that got pushed back into the grassy sidelines.
- We provided a meaningful experience for 27 people to feel like they own the trail, including many newcomers.