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Keep Suffolk Beautiful is planning a land- and water-based Nansemond River Cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 9.

The cleanup will focus on the downtown section of the river. Volunteers who wish to clean the river must provide their own watercraft. Those who wish to participate on land will be offered maps that note areas in need of attention. Suffolk Fire & Rescue will be on hand to support the cleanup effort.

All volunteers will meet at Constant’s Wharf, 100 E. Constance Road, prior to the 9 a.m. start of the event. Free litter gathering equipment and trash bags will be provided, with specialized tools given to watercraft participants to help them reach into the wetlands from the river.

“Suffolk is very fortunate to have a treasure like the Nansemond River,” said Bill Farrell, Keep Suffolk Beautiful board member. “It offers many recreational and inspirational opportunities for us all. But, like any treasure, it must be respected and well taken care of. Participating in the Nansemond River Cleanup is a great way to show our treasure that we appreciate what it gives to us.”

Keep Suffolk Beautiful is hoping to outdo the results of its October 2021 Nansemond River Cleanup, when over 2,600 pounds of trash was collected, including seven shopping carts.

This year’s event follows the organization’s March 19 St. Patrick’s Day Cleanup, which saw 60 volunteers collect 56 bags of trash and four tires, totaling in 1,600 pounds of litter.

Organizers are asking Main Street businesses to help the effort by making sure their parking lots and garbage bins are cleaned regularly. They note that any untended trash left in a parking lot or areas surrounding a business will inevitably find its way into the Nansemond River.

For information, contact Suffolk Litter Control at 757-514-7604 or littercontrol@suffolkva.us.