Keep Covington Beautiful is sponsoring its annual Bogue Falaya River Sweep, a litter clean-up on the Bogue Falaya River, on Saturday, September 19th. KCB will partner with the City of Covington and Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation’s Beach Sweep. This event is held in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy.
KCB invites volunteers to bring their canoes & kayaks to the Menetre (4th Avenue) Boat Launch at 8:00 a.m. KCB will provide trash bags, gloves & litter grabbers. Paddlers will collect litter in & along the river from the boat launch to the Boston Street Bridge & back. Personal flotation devices are required for all paddlers. All volunteers will be required to sign a waiver before participating in the event. Signature of parent or guardian is required for youth under the age of 18, or if part of a group, by the organization’s authorized adult sponsor.
Volunteers will also pick up litter at the boat launch and other locations where litter accumulates or enters the river, ending at Bogue Falaya Park. Volunteers are needed to assist with signing in the volunteers at the boat launch, with setting up the picnic and with helping paddlers unload their catch at the park.
Paddlers and volunteers interested in helping with the clean-up are asked to sign up by September 14th by contacting KCB at 985-867-3652 or email to keepcovbeautiful@gmail.com. A limited number of canoes and kayaks will be available. They will be assigned as paddlers sign up. Event day volunteers & paddlers are always welcome but canoe/kayak availability cannot be guaranteed. Free Beach Sweep event t-shirts will be available in various sizes for the first (50) volunteers to sign in at the event. All volunteers and paddlers are invited to a picnic at Bogue Falaya Park small pavilion following the clean-up. Prizes will be given for the largest item and the most unusual item collected on the river.
As much as eighty percent of all litter and debris in our oceans, rivers and lakes originates on land, carried there by wind and storm water run-off. The rivers that define the city of Covington are essential to its unique character. Join us to help keep our portion of this scenic river clean!
To become a member or volunteer and to learn how to get involved with KCB’s major project, the Blue Swamp Creek Nature Trail, located at the Covington Recreation Complex, visit keepcovingtonbeautiful.org. In addition to the nature trail, Keep Covington Beautiful’s other projects include planting the downtown street-side planters, an Arbor Day tree give-away, educational seminars, litter prevention and recycling activities. www.keepcovingtonbeautiful.org
