Francis Marion Annual Cleanup Coming Soon
Columbia, SC (January 2018) – The Francis Marion National Forest Cleanup is an annual cleanup in February that brings together more than 300 volunteers in one-day to pick up litter from one of the state’s most popular outdoor recreational areas. PalmettoPride and the USDA Forest Service, along with long time partners Keep Berkeley County Beautiful, Keep Charleston Beautiful and Keep North Charleston Beautiful look forward to another successful event to help clean up a popular forest visited by thousands of people each year.
The 11th Annual Francis Marion National Forest Cleanup will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2018 starting at 9:00 a.m. The event will be coordinated by the USDA Forest Service, PalmettoPride, The Nature Conservancy, the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority and Charleston County.
“This annual cleanup event has shown that ongoing cleanup efforts reduce litter,” said Sarah Lyles, executive director of PalmettoPride. “Many volunteers and groups come back every year to enjoy fellowship and share in good deeds in a place that they love.”
Volunteers of all ages are welcomed and invited participate in the event. There will be groups directed to the roadside for smaller items of trash and debris, as well as groups and individuals heading into the forest with trucks, Jeeps and other equipment to tackle the illegal dumpsites.
Last year’s February cleanup resulted in almost 400 volunteers picking-up 15 tons of trash while also removing 50 tires and one boat from the national forest. That’s an average of 80 pounds per volunteer.
For more information about the cleanup or ways to get involved please visit PalmettoPride’s website or contact Scott Morgan at smorgan@palmettopride.org.
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PalmettoPride is working towards a litter-free South Carolina. Created as a legislative initiative to fight litter and help beautify South Carolina by engaging citizens to take action in their communities through education, enforcement, awareness and pickup.