Make It Shine Raleigh County; Litter sweep along Rt. 19 clears 600lbs of trash

GLEN MORGAN, WV (WVNS) — A scenic drive in West Virginia comes with small towns, local shops, and amazing views. Sadly, it also comes with garbage and litter. Two Raleigh County organizations swept some of that away in a litter sweep event, however.

Piney Creek Watershed Association in Raleigh County is a non-profit charged with the preservation, protection, and promotion of Piney Creek. Piney Creek is a tributary of the New River which runs along side route 19 in Glen Morgan.

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It was there that the Piney Creek Watershed Association, Raleigh County Make It Shine, and volunteers cleaned up over 600 pounds of trash Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Make it Shine co-chair Sherrie Hunter says events like these can help reduce future litter.

“Keep America Beautiful says that litter begets litter, and if there is a presence of litter and it isn’t cleaned up, there’s a greater likelihood somebody’s going to think ‘well, they don’t care; we’ll just toss our litter too.’ So it’s just really very important to have litter sweeps all the time,” said Hunter.

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Hunter says there are many ways individuals and groups can organize their own litter sweep within the county simply by reaching out.

“Any time anybody wants to have a litter sweep, they can certainly call me at the Solid Waste Authority. They can call Michelle or Joe Guffy at at the Chamber of Commerce and we will supply them with the safety vests, litter grabbers and the orange bags to pick up the litter,” Hunter explained.

Within Raleigh County, trash removal costs after the clean up can also be covered by the landfill as these costs come from state programs available. For those looking to help Piney Creek specifically, Piney Creek Watershed Association board member Kenn Dunlap welcomes you to reach out.

“Look on our Facebook page and we’ll list the activities that we’re doing. But yes, you can participate in litter pick ups and water monitoring, if you like.,” said Dunlap.

Taking pride in our state for our own enjoyment, the enjoyment of others, and for our future generations can be as simple as picking up after ourselves and others. It may not be our trash, but it is certainly our state.

Individuals or groups looking for ways to get involved with their own litter sweep can simply reach out to the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce Make It Shine association. For more information on Piney Creek Watershed Association and how to get involved in protecting Piney Creek visit their website.

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