Did you know that most of the plastic in the ocean comes from rivers? And that most of the plastic in rivers come off the land—much of it through the stormwater system? Stormwater carries anything on the surface of our roads and sidewalks into rivers and streams.That includes pollutants like oil, gas, detergents, and trash. In other words, if you’re wondering where the trash in the river came from—look to the streets. Last month, more than one hundred volunteers did exactly this as they participated in MyRWA’s first ever Trash-Free Mystic challenge. Volunteers removed an impressive 80 bags of litter!
The Trash-Free Mystic challenge was an opportunity to remove litter from the street and greenspaces in our watershed in a COVID-safe manner at a time convenient for individuals and small groups, at priority locations identified by MyRWA staff. Locations included Horn Pond in Woburn, Torbert Macdonald State Park in Medford, Auburn Street in Medford, Draw Seven State Park in Somerville, Mary O’Malley State Park in Chelsea, Blessing of the Bay park in Somerville, and the Mystic Lakes in Medford/Winchester. See locations and learn more about the challenge here.
Local boy scout and girl scout troops, Green Teams, and Medford’s teen Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CCSR) coordinated small, socially distanced events as part of the challenge.
One group noted, “It was a great way to motivate groups to help keep the Mystic River clean and to educate the community about stormwater runoff and how the trash in our rivers makes its way to the ocean. We liked that it was a multi-age outdoor activity where you could easily socially distance. We organized this with our middle school and high school green teams.” Another volunteer shared, “Why I liked it--instant gratification.”
A huge thanks to all who participated! Check out some of the photos below.
