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MWCD to hold Earth Day Challenge

NEW PHILADELPHIA — Earth Day is April 22 and the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District is celebrating with an Earth Day Cleanup Challenge.

Walkers, hikers, and boaters are encouraged to grab a pair of gloves and a trash bag to pick up litter between Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 25. Those who post photos of their cleanup to an MWCD Facebook or Instagram page using #MWCDEarthDay2021 will be entered into a drawing for a cooler filled with prizes and gift certificates.

Those who join an organized cleanup at one of the MWCD lakes earn a coupon for a night of free camping — one coupon per household. The first cleanup will take place on Saturday at Charles Mill, Pleasant Hill and Seneca lakes. The second is on April 24 at Atwood, Clendening, Piedmont and Tappan lakes.

The Cleanup Challenge allows groups to help with community projects and service. Those wishing to participate can contact MWCD Engagement and Outreach Coordinator Ethan Zucal at 330-556-4814 or ezucal@mwcd.org. Cleanup details for each lake are available at www.MWCD.org.

“Keeping our waterways tangle free ensures healthier wildlife habitats, increases water quality, and prevents injuries and potential accidents,” said Zucal. “The fishing line disposal bins are a simple way for fishermen and women to discard line that can no longer be used rather than dropping it in the lakes or leaving it on the shoreline.”

Efforts to decrease litter at MWCD lakes goes beyond Earth Day. A larger, more encompassing litter program is to come, and by April 22, visitors will find fishing line disposal bins located at MWCD Lakes and Parks. MWCD Rangers, Park and Marina staff have been working hard over the last few weeks assembling disposal bins uniquely designed to collect fishing lines only.

A total of 35 bins will be installed at high-volume fishing areas throughout the district providing an easy and convenient way for fishermen and women to discard old, excess or severed fishing lines. This new initiative is one example of MWCD’s efforts to engage visitors and mitigate a fraction of the overall litter issue found at MWCD Lakes and Parks.

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