The Environmental Institute of Georgia (EIOG) is at it again. Aside from their work as custodians of the 300-acre Fairburn Nature Preserve, reducing chemical exposures to humans and animals and coordinating Fayette County Earth Day activities, EIOG is sponsoring the Rivers Alive clean-up activities along Fayette’s waterways again this year. The first of five clean-up events was held Saturday.

“We can’t live in denial anymore that our streams are being littered by household waste,” EIOG Chair Connie Thomas said Oct. 3 as she and other board members stood at the dead end of Burch Road in Fayetteville just prior to the clean-up event along Gingercake Creek and Whitewater Creek.

The morning’s clean-up started minutes later, with Bill Webb from co-sponsor Metro Fayette Kiwanis, Tyrone resident Dee Baker, EIOG board members and students from Sandy Creek High School and McIntosh High School foraging along the creek beds and in the water to retrieve a variety of items that had made their way downstream onto a few hundred acres of pristine nature preserve owned by the city of Fayetteville.

Volunteers pulled an assortment of trash, old tires, bottles and a large plastic tool box from the waterway.

“The trash is ever-increasing,” said former city of Los Angeles architect, EIOG board member and Peachtree City resident Bill Holland. “Somebody needs to do this kind of clean-up. I’m inspired by the number of kids that attend these events.”

Leading the group again this year was EIOG board member, biologist and local environmental activist Dennis Chase. Now retired, Chase has spent countless hours along all of Fayette’s waterways, often accompanied by students from the county’s high schools, on projects as diverse as clean-ups like the one Saturday or others checking water quality or identifying and tracking mussels and turtles like the three found Oct. 3.

EIOG is sponsoring four more clean-up events. Each clean-up begins at 10 a.m. and runs approximately two hours. Volunteers should arrive early to complete waivers. Participants should wear sturdy foot wear and bring gloves. Trash bags will be supplied.

Waterway clean-up events will be held on each of the next four weekends. The Oct. 10 event will be held along Whitewater Creek at Ebenezer Church Road and Perry Creek at Redwine Road. Participants are asked to meet at the parking area in front of the county government offices at Ga. Highway 54 and Ga. Highway 85 in Fayetteville. The event is co-sponsored by the Fayette County Stormwater Program.

The Oct. 17 clean-up will be held at the Morning Creek Bridge approaches on Ga. Highway 314. Participants will meet at the county government complex in Fayetteville. Those interested in helping should meet at the parking area in front of the county government offices. This event is also co-sponsored by Fayette County Stormwater Program.

The Oct. 24 clean-up will be held along Flat Creek Nature area. Volunteers should meet at the parking area at Braelinn Shopping center near Crosstown Road. This event is co-sponsored by Peachtree City Stormwater Dept. and Keep Peachtree City Beautiful.

And finally on Nov. 7, volunteers will clean up the area along Line Creek at Palmetto Road and Castlewood Road. The group will assemble next to Tyrone Town Hall on Old Senoia Road. The clean-up is co-sponsored by the Tyrone Stormwater Program.

For more information contact info@eiog.org.

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