HeightsNEXT Earth Day Cleanup

HeightsNEXT, a non-profit focused on increasing sustainability, is organizing volunteers for an Earth Day Cleanup, Saturday, April 24, at 9 am. Volunteers’ efforts will freshen up local streetscapes and prevent trash from drifting through storm drains into the Mississippi River.

Interested volunteers should meet in the parking lot of the Columbia Heights Public Library, 3939 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights. Bags and safety vests will be provided. Volunteers should bring their own gloves and dress appropriately for trash cleanup.

This event will be socially distanced, with each group of volunteers dispersing to clean their own section of Central Avenue. Please wear masks when picking up and returning vests and bags. After volunteers complete their cleanup, they are invited to meet back at the library to return vests and celebrate the group’s efforts. The cleanup will occur “rain or shine,” so participants should dress for the weather.

Businesses along Central Avenue are invited to join in the Earth Day Cleanup, too, by clearing their properties of trash or debris that may have accumulated there. While organizers hope trash will be reduced in the future, this event provides an opportunity to supplement city staffs’ efforts to keep Columbia Heights streets clean.

To volunteer for the cleanup, simply show up on the day of the event. If severe weather develops, check the HeightsNEXT Facebook page for event updates: facebook.com/HeightsNext.