The 29th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup Calls for Volunteer Action Along the Connecticut River
- Diana Chaplin
- Sep 5
- 3 min read
Roll up your sleeves and get ready to do some good for local rivers. The Connecticut River Conservancy’s (CRC) 29th annual Source to Sea Cleanup is back this September 26 – 27th with flexible opportunities for individual groups to choose their cleanup day. The goal is to remove as much trash as possible from waterways, riverbanks, and communities to reduce the impact of pollution across the 410-mile Connecticut River and watershed, including the tributaries that feed the mainstem river in NH, VT, MA, and CT.
Registration is open for Group Leaders and Volunteers at SourceToSeaCleanup.org.
What began in 1996 with a small group of volunteers dedicated to clean water and healthy habitats has grown to a massive community action trash removal event. Brought together by a shared passion for trash-free waterways, countless communities, businesses, nonprofits, and families now participate throughout the Connecticut River watershed.
Group leaders organize cleanup events at trash sites based on areas of need, while volunteers donate their time and effort to remove trash from nature. Local municipalities support by providing dumpsters, waiving disposal fees, or collecting the trash from locations after the volunteers have completed their cleanups.
Trash tallies are also gathered after each cleanup, contributing to CRC’s long-standing database which is used to inform the nonprofit’s work in advocacy to reduce pollution, support river restoration, and inform the public and policymakers of issues affecting the environment. This event often includes participation from local legislative leaders.
2024's cleanup included 117 groups and over 1,800 volunteers throughout four watershed states, who collectively removed 39 tons of trash from rivers and riverside areas (over 78,000 lbs). A wide variety of waste was collected by volunteers, including 16,824 beverage containers, 475 tires, and 5,603 lbs. of scrap metal in addition to cigarette butts, fishing equipment, food packaging, and common household items. Since data collection began in 1999, 1,146 tons of trash has been documented as removed from the watershed—and not everyone submits detailed data!
A few photos from 2024's cleanup events. Many more photos and summaries are available in the 2024 Cleanup Chronicle.
CRC will use #SourcetoSeaCleanup on Instagram to connect volunteers and is encouraging social media sharing of the cleanup experience.
“The Source to Sea Cleanup is an opportunity to get dirty for cleaner rivers, work with others in your community, and clean up our waterways and city streets,” says CRC’s Cleanup Coordinator, Stacey Lennard. “When you pick up trash you are diverting that waste from going down storm drains and into the river system, which eventually flows into the ocean. You are ensuring that we keep this debris out of our rivers and oceans.”
Group Leaders who need help finding a cleanup site can check out CRC's map of adoptable trash sites. Or they can choose a site of their own by submitting a “Report a Trash Site” form. Parks, city blocks, boat ramps, and neighborhood hangouts are typically great spots to clean up. Trash travels, so even picking up litter off a city sidewalk can help protect wildlife and communities that depend on clean waterways. Group leaders are encouraged to scout the site beforehand to determine if it’s suitable for their group. A handy Group Leader Guide is available for download on the Source to Sea Cleanup website and provides all the necessary information and forms for running a successful cleanup.
Connecticut River Conservancy would also like to thank the following sponsors for supporting this initiative – in some cases for many years!
Lead sponsors in 2025 are U.S.A. Waste & Recycling Inc., All American Waste, Eversource, and The Walker Group. With additional support from Hypertherm HOPE Foundation, Antonacci Family Foundation, Ascend Bank in partnership with the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, Aquarion Water Company, Connecticut River Gateway Commission, Florence Bank, Fuss & O'Neill, Greenfield Savings Bank, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Jamrog HVAC, Packaging Corporation of America, Savings Bank of Walpole, Silver Screen Design, SLR Consulting, Stone Environmental, SumCo Eco-Contracting, SWCA Environmental Consultants Inc., and Walmart in Hadley and Northampton.
For more information, visit Sourcetoseacleanup.org
To sign up as a Group Leader, start with the Cleanup Sites Map here.
For any questions about getting involved, contact Stacey Lennard at cleanup@ctriver.org.
