NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Groups set out across Hampton Roads on Saturday morning to pick up trash in an effort to help clean the Chesapeake Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's 35th Clean the Bay Day covers efforts across Virginia, from the bay itself to the rivers and creeks that feed into it.
Over the years, the annual effort has led to more than 7 million pounds of trash being pulled from the waterways, which play a major role in the economy and culture of the region.
News 3 caught up with a group of volunteers of all ages, who spent the morning picking up trash at King-Lincoln Park in Newport News. Low tide revealed trash embedded into the sandy beach along the mouth of the James River.
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But organizers say keeping the surrounding environment clean isn't only a one-day job.
“You can do what we call a two-minute cleanup. On your way to work or on your walk in the morning, you can pick up a few pieces of trash and do your part continuously," said Lisa Renee Jennings, the Hampton Roads Grassroots coordinator for the foundation. "Many people don’t know that the creek behind their house is the bay because it’s all connected and we’re all connected.”
The first Clean the Bay Day was held in 1989.
