WASHINGTON – If you head to Nationals Park you might not see their handiwork, but neighbors are taking pride in the waterfront that’s just across the street from the stadium.
About 50 volunteers took part Saturday in a cleanup of the waterfront along the Anacostia River near Diamond Teague Park.
Neighborhood advisory commissioner David Garber says he got more volunteers than he asked for.
Kellie Bolinder, with the Earth Conservation Corps, says the area is home to large amounts of washed up debris. “All the storm drains from the city will end up in our watershed,” she says.
Jenny Harper was one of many volunteers who hopped onto a kayak to clean up the hard-to-reach places. She says she and her husband, who also took part in the cleanup, “really enjoy using the river. We just wanted to be a part of cleaning up the trash, and making it look nicer,” she says.
Groundwork Anacostia, Gangplank Marina, Anacostia Riverkeeper, Earth Conservation Corps and Ballpark Boathouse were all partners in the cleanup. Garber says that because of the way the river bends by the park, a lot of debris crashes onto the shoreline and stays there. Even though they cleaned up the debris on Saturday, he says, it will soon return. Garber says if you missed this cleanup there’s another one coming up Sept. 14, also at Diamond Teague Park, in celebration of the National Day of Service.
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