The Great New England Cleanup
A big THANK YOU to all the people who celebrated Earth Day by helping clean up conservation lands and trails near them!
You all blew our goal (1,000 pieces) out of the water - 97 people joined us in using Litterati and recorded picking up over 3,500 pieces of trash!
This past year, many more of us took to the woods and our local trails to get outside. Now - these places need our help! Join the Great New England Cleanup to help cleanup trails and conservation areas this Earth Day!
- When? April 17th - 25th
- Where? Anywhere in New England!
- Who? Anyone - YOU!
- How? Pick up trash on your local conservation land, trail or anywhere near you and record it in the easy to-use app!
It's always more fun (especially these days) to see how our individual actions impact our larger community. In order to participate in the cleanup, we're asking that you record what you pick up with the free and easy to use app, Litterati. We've got resources below to help. That way you will be able to see how much you cleanup AND see all our collective work in action.
find a group clean up near you or do your own solo clean up
How to Use Litterati:
Litterati helps log and categorize the trash you pick up from natural areas and trails near you and has led to packaging changes by corporations based on litter data, so your efforts could contribute to even more big change! Our challenge will be to remove at least 1,000 pieces of litter during the week around Earth Day!
Learn to use the app:
Or you can explore on your own:
- Download Litterati
- Join the challenge by using Challenge Code: NECLEANUP
4 Tips for Easy Litter Pickup
1. Designate Roles or Be Dual- Handed
If you're picking up trash with a team, it's easiest to have one person use their phone and the Litterati app to take photos while others pick up and bag trash.
Or if you're cleaning up on your own, you can hold the bag in one had with a glove to pick up trash and use your other hand to hold your phone and snap photos.
2. Take Photos, Tag Later
It's easiest and fastest to take photos of all the trash in the field as you're finding it then go through and tag them all later when you get home.
3. Wear gloves, Bring masks & Extra bags.
Unfortunately, you never know what you will find. It's helpful to wear gloves (especially if anything you find is in a state of decomposition..), to bring a mask and extra bags. Below are a few more safety resources:
- Safety tips from LitterBeGone
- COVID-19 safety for Outdoor Volunteering (free online training module)
- VIDEO: Safe glove removal
4. Have Fun!
Connect on Social Media
Connect with the fun and action by tagging @naturegroupie or using #GreatNECleanup!
For Groups
Are you interested in hosting an event on your land or trails? Add your event to the Nature Groupie Calendar and we'll help promote it!
Or want to help encourage folks to cleanup? Below are text and several images you can use to help spread the word:
"Every year, thousands of people around the world celebrate Earth Day by picking up trash near them. This year - our local trails and conservation areas need your help! Join the Great New England Cleanup on your own or find an event near you."
"Whats the best way to celebrate Earth Day? We think there isn't much more fun or satisfying than cleaning up our local trails and lands! Join the Great New England Cleanup and thousands of people around the world April 17 -25 to help clean up trash in your community."
(These photos are only to be used for promotion of the Great New England Cleanup)
