West
Virginia’s litter cleanup programs rely heavily on volunteers, who are passionate
about making sure the Mountain State shines for its residents and visitors
alike.
Behind
the scenes, those who administer the state’s long-running beautification
efforts, including the Make It Shine Statewide Cleanup in April, are just as
passionate in their desire for a pristine West Virginia landscape.
That’s
why six staff members from the Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP) in
Charleston headed out recently to do their own cleanup ahead of the REAP-sponsored
Make It Shine litter-pickup effort. REAP, housed under the Department of
Environmental Protection, oversees the state’s Adopt-A-Highway, Adopt-A-Spot
and Kanawha River cleanups, in addition to the Make It Shine initiative.
“We
wanted to lead by example,” REAP Administrator Sandy Rogers said, explaining
her staff’s day out of the office spent clearing trash and other debris in
areas of Kanawha County. “We so appreciate all the volunteers around West
Virginia who participate in our cleanups throughout the year and understand those
efforts would not be successful without our dedicated state residents. So, we
wanted to kickoff Make It Shine month by doing our part as well.”
Along
Route 4, the REAP staffers cleaned up two dumps, as well as the state Wildlife
Management Area. They also removed litter from the Clendenin Park and Ride. In
total, the group collected 1,360 pounds of trash and 38 tires.
In
addition to Rogers, REAP staff members who participated in the cleanup were
Travis Cooper, Lisa Facemyer, Niki Davis, Chris Cartwright and Greg Rote. John
King, from the DEP’s Environmental Advocate Office, also assisted.
“Last
year, close to 5,000 West Virginians gave up their free time to clean up our
beautiful state during April’s Make It Shine month and collected nearly 120
tons of litter,” Rogers said. “The REAP staff remains committed to assisting in
these efforts by providing supplies to our volunteers, hauling away the trash
they collect and covering landfill costs.”