Skip to content
The Bay Backpack logo. A school backpack followed by a stylized writing of the words Bay Backpack.

School Yard Cleanups Put Trash In Its Place

by
Libby

A great way to get your kids outside this spring is by hosting a “School Yard Cleanup” in conjunction with the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s 22nd Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. On Saturday, April 10th thousands of volunteers of all ages will be participating at sites all across the Potomac watershed. By conducting a cleanup around this time at your school’s action project will inspire school spirit, let the students have fun and get a little dirty, and beautify your school yard as well as be a part of this huge watershed-wide event. It is a simple activity that doesn’t take a lot of preparation or money.

Since 1989, more than 50,000 volunteers have teamed with 375 partner organizations to tug over 3 million tons of trash from the watershed’s streams, rivers and bays. Last year´s haul of over 290 tons included more than 27 tons of recyclables, 41,122 Plastic bags, 2,095 tires, 17 bicycles, 16 shopping carts, 9 Metal and plastic barrels, 5 TVs and 5 refrigerators! The Alice Ferguson Foundation needs your help this year on Saturday, April 10th to help put trash in its place!

Visit the Potomac Cleanup website and look under “Cleanup Resources” to find lessons, activities and a kid-friendly PowerPoint with step-by-step instructions on how to organize a cleanup on your school grounds. Register your school yard as a cleanup site with the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s Potomac River Watershed Cleanup and the Foundation will provide bags and gloves to you free of charge.

Additional Resources:

Trash Related Lesson Plans - Bay Backpack