Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper event engages 1,500 volunteers with more than 10 tons of litter removed from local shorelines, parks

Scajaquada Creek and other waterways improved through community service and environmental stewardship

More than 1,500 Western New Yorkers cleaned shorelines and picked up a winter's debris across the region Saturday for Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper's annual Spring Shoreline Sweep. The event targeted shoreline sites in need of stewardship and litter removal throughout Erie and Niagara counties.

In one day, volunteers successfully removed more than 10 tons of litter from local waterways. At a media event in Broderick Park, at the foot of West Ferry Street, Mayor Byron Brown welcomed volunteers to the park and thanked them for participating in the event.

"Continuing to keep our city's many waterways safe and clean, and helping to protect our environment, is an important effort that will enable one of our city's greatest natural assets to be enjoyed by the community for many years to come," Brown said. "I thank Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper for hosting the annual Spring Shoreline Sweep, and my deep gratitude goes out to the thousands of volunteers who participate in this largest single-day shoreline cleanup in Buffalo and Western New York."

Congressman Brian Higgins, Buffalo Common Council Member David Rivera and Deb Gondek, director of sustainability at Rich Products, joined the mayor in kicking off the event.

"There is no better way to celebrate our water this Earth Day than through citizen action," said Jill Jedlicka, executive director of Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. "Our Spring Shoreline Sweep creates an opportunity for community members to engage directly with ongoing shoreline restoration work in Erie and Niagara counties. We are grateful to the thousands of volunteers who participate in our programs each year, and continue to demonstrate their commitment to our regional waterways."

Following the Spring Shoreline Sweep, community members attended a volunteer appreciation celebration hosted at the West Side Rowing Club. Volunteers enjoyed live music, food donated by Wegmans, Roly Poly Sandwiches and a unique view of the Niagara River meeting Lake Erie.

Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the region's most valuable natural asset. For more than 25 years, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper has tackled some of the region's biggest fresh water challenges, such as cleaning up toxic sediment, eliminating sewage overflows, restoring critical habitat and advocating for the long-term health of the Great Lakes.

For more information about Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, visit www.bnriverkeeper.org.