Identify 3 or 4 locations in your community in need of a Cleanup. (Any location, even one NOT located directly near a water source, is acceptable because all the land drains to a waterway.)
Visit and research each location to determine how suitable each might be as a Cleanup site.
If working with a group, be sure to include others in the research process or report your findings to the group and make a communal decision. This will build ownership and a personal connection among your group members to your chosen cleanup location.
Determine your best site location option and a second-choice option in case the first doesn’t work out.
Issues to consider when choosing a site:
Is there parking nearby?
Are there working restrooms nearby?
Is the site easily accessible?
Will trash that is picked up have to be carried a long distance to be removed?
Is the site safe? How much traffic is nearby, etc.
Are there schools, clubs or businesses within walking distance who might want to help?
Does the site receive high visibility or usage? Do you know who uses it, or how to contact them?
Does your organization/group have a particular fondness or connection to a certain area?
HINT: Good places to look for new sites are local parks, sports fields, school or churchyards, playgrounds, etc. These places often have dumpsters or staff available to help with trash removal. They are also usually easy to access and provide restrooms & parking. However, you must make sure to get permission from the agency or owner of the land. For example, a park next to a playground might get high usage from young families in the neighborhood. Solicit their help with flyers or approach them in person on a busy weekend day.
Contact Site Owner or Agency Manager
Call, email or send a letter to the land owner or agency manager to get permission to do a Clean up at their site.
Once you get permission, ask how trash is normally removed from the site (dumpsters, personal trash cans, etc.)
Be prepared to give this contact person more information regarding the PRWC, such as the date and time of the event, the number of volunteers you expect at the proposed site, the environmental health benefits, the watershed-wide, the chance of positive media coverage/publicity, and the free cleanup help you would like to provide.
Direct landowners to contact Cleanup Coordinator (301.292.5665) if they have any questions or concerns that you cannot answer.
Alice Ferguson Foundation does NOT provide liability insurance for the event. Each site is responsible for any incidents that may occur. Make sure this is clear to the land owner.
Find out what coverage the agency or land owner can provide. (For example, parks may have a waiver they would like volunteers to sign, or an agency may provide liability coverage for the event, etc.)
Register your Site
Two ways to register your site:
Register on-line at the Site Leader’s Center. Visit Cleanup Site Registration and input all the necessary information. Be sure to fill out the Contact form too!
Email or call 301-292-5665 with the information requested on the Site Registration Sheet.
Registering your site secures your free supplies, lists your cleanup site in printed materials and on the website, and establishes you/your organization as a volunteer.
Volunteer Recruitment
Tell friends and family. Call and invite them personally – be sure to include children too!
Post a flyer in your office or workplace, and make an announcement to your co-workers.
Bring a flyer to church, community gatherings or other meetings.
One great way to get extra people to help out is to provide free food! Check your local grocery store or restaurant to see if they would be willing to donate snacks or beverages. (For example, a dozen donuts or bagels and a large pot of coffee will satisfy a cadre of volunteers.)
REMEMBER - Just a few dedicated individuals can make a big difference. If only a handful of people commit to join you, don’t worry. Some of our sites are cleaned up by small scout troops, a few concerned neighbors or even just one married couple removing trash from their property. Just five people can easily remove over 100 pounds of trash in three hours.
Trash Removal
On average, 1-2 bags of trash are collected per volunteer. Try to estimate the amount of trash you think you will remove.
Consider partnerships that might help remove the trash from your site. Can the site owner/manager provide use of their dumpsters? Can volunteers drop the trash off at a landfill after the Cleanup is done? Will your county waste management department issue a dumping waiver or send a special truck to pick up the trash?
If you decide to separate recyclables, will someone take responsibility to clean the contaminated bottles? Are there recycling containers available for use at the site? Can a volunteer bring the recyclables home to put out with the household curbside recycling?
HINT: If you have problems determining how to dispose of the trash collected at your site, contact Cleanup Manager, Wende Pearson. AFF works with various waste management agencies. Don’t let this little detail hold you up!
Supplies
We provide protective gloves, trash bags & colored recycle bags, data sheets to record your ‘trash tally’, promotional event flyers, media message points, and coordination assistance. Directional driving signs can also be printed from the website.
You will have to pick up your supplies from the Alice Ferguson Foundation or one of our major partners (found throughout the watershed) sometime in March. If no convenient arrangement can be reached, we can mail small amounts of supplies.
Any food or drink is not provided, but could be solicited from local vendors. For example, ask your local grocery store or restaurant to donate snacks and/or sodas. Or if your group is small, perhaps you or your organization would want to donate a ‘thank you snack’.
Safety equipment is NOT supplied, however suggestions are provided to make effective HAZMAT containers and home made trash picker-uppers, and to dress in appropriate attire.
Information
Cleanup Manager is available during business hours by phone, email or fax. Call 301.292.5665 to speak with a real live person! Send faxes to the AFF office at 301.292.1070, or email
The greatest source of 24 hour information is our website. Web pages dedicated to site leaders and their questions are regularly updated. Site leaders & contact information is posted on the web for the recruitment of volunteers (after March 1st). Information regarding sponsorship, media releases, educational activities, past results and logistics are all internet accessible via www.PotomacCleanup.org
A Site Leader training session is being scheduled. Check the website for more information.
At the time you pick up your supplies, an information packet will also be provided. This packet has information about other sites & site leaders in your county, the focus of our Cleanup goals, benefits from our sponsors, our media message, and the latest press releases and media events.
Volunteer Recruitment
