[Durham INC] Durham Gets Ready for "Big Sweep" Oct. 6

[Blalock, Amy]

City of Durham

County of Durham

 

 

Joint News Release

 

 

For Immediate Release: September 13, 2012

News Media Contacts:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist, City of Durham

(919) 560-4123, ext. 11253

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC 

http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC    

 

Dawn Dudley

Public Information Specialist, County of Durham

(919) 560-0008

DDudley at DurhamCountyNC.gov 

 

 

Durham Residents Get Ready for "Big Sweep"

Online Volunteer Registration Now Available for Statewide Litter
Prevention Initiative on October 6

 

DURHAM, N.C. - Residents ready to help clean up Durham should dig out
their work gloves and boots and mark their calendars now for the annual
North Carolina "Big Sweep," coming to Durham on Saturday, October 6,
2012, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  

 

The 2012 Big Sweep, coordinated by the City of Durham's Stormwater
Services Division with the Public Works Department, the Durham County
Soil & Water Conservation District, and Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc.,
will focus on removing litter from Durham's streams, watersheds,
streets, and parks.  

 

According to Jennifer Brooks, soil conservationist and education
coordinator with the Durham County Soil & Water Conservation District,
last year's Big Sweep was a huge success thanks to the efforts of
hundreds of residents who combed the community to restore Durham
habitats, beautify the landscape, and protect the waterways. Event
organizers hope for a record number of volunteers to match or surpass
the 11,085 pounds of litter and debris collected in 2011 by 334
volunteers.

 

"Litter causes seriously negative health consequences for people, the
environment, and the well-being of wildlife," said Brooks. "It washes
from streets to storm drains to creeks. It entangles animals and can be
toxic when ingested. Cigarette butts are extremely poisonous to small
water organisms and to birds that use them to build nests."

 

If volunteers cannot participate on October 6, they are encouraged to
pick another day in October to participate.

 

Durham residents, organizations, and groups interested in volunteering
for this litter cleanup event should contact Brooks at (919) 560-0558 or
by email at jbrooks at durhamcountync.gov. Volunteers may also register on
the Durham Big Sweep website at http://Bit.ly/DurhamBigSweep. 

 

About North Carolina Big Sweep

North Carolina Big Sweep was founded as Beach Sweep in 1987. In 1989, a
public-private partnership officially became Big Sweep, the nation's
first statewide waterway clean-up. Since its founding, North Carolina
Big Sweep has had more than 200,000 volunteers and collected millions of
pounds of trash from North Carolina watersheds. To learn more, visit 
http://www.NCBigSweep.org.  

 

About Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc.

Keep Durham Beautiful, Inc. is a nonprofit, volunteer organization
working in partnership with the City of Durham's General Services
Department and the County of Durham to encourage private businesses,
residents, and community organizations to conserve and enhance the
appearance and environment of Durham through cleanup events,
beautification projects, and educational activities. For more
information, visit http://www.KeepDurhamBeautiful.org, "like" on
Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/KeepDurhamBeautiful, or "follow" on
Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/DurhamBeautiful.  

 

About the Public Works Department Stormwater Services Division

The Stormwater Services Division with the City of Durham's Public Works
Department is guided by the City's strategic plan goals of stewardship
of the City's physical assets and promoting thriving, livable
neighborhoods. It has the major responsibility for enforcing all
existing stormwater ordinances and regulations. Activities include storm
drainage design and plans review; inspecting and maintaining City-owned
drainage systems; education and outreach; and stream monitoring,
restoration, and watershed master planning. To learn more, visit 
http://www.DurhamNC.gov/Stormwater or "like" on Facebook at 
http://www.Facebook.com/DurhamNCStormwater.  

 

About the Durham County Soil & Water Conservation District

The Durham County Soil & Water Conservation District seeks to conserve,
enhance and promote the natural resources of Durham County by providing
technical assistance, environmental education information and economic
incentives to County citizens and by exhibiting a diversified program to
meet its changing needs. For more information, visit 
http://www.co.durham.nc.us/departments/swcd/. 

 

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