2014 Creek Cleanup Results

The 2014 cleanup was held April 5: 205 volunteers picked up 481 bags of trash and recyclables, 28 tires, 14 shopping carts, and an estimated 4.3 tons of trash and litter at 16 locations along the creek.

The cleanup was part of the Potomac Watershed Cleanup sponsored annually by the Alice Ferguson Foundation.

2014 Champion TRASHMASTERS of Little Hunting Creek

• Surovell's Crew, ably led by Megan Howard, turned in the top performance in this year's cleanup. At the perennially-trashy Janna Lee Avenue bridge, they pulled out a whopping 95 bags of trash and recyclables, 16 tires, 12 grocery carts, 4 bikes, 2 mattresses, an estimated 5,000 plastic bags, a lawn mower, a minivan seat, a mannequin leg, dirty diapers, etc., etc.




• Gold Medal Girl Scout candidate Marisa Izaguirre and Girl Scout Troop 1635 were the second top performers, leading the cleanup effort into new trash territory downstream of Janna Lee Avenue bridge. They picked up 72 bags of trash, 2 tires, a car fender, soggy carpets, lawn chairs, a broom, a hula hoop, the other mannequin leg, and more.




• On Little Hunting Creek Drive, volunteers hauled in 48 bags of trash, a tire, and an ancient cast iron oil burner. (At right, Queenie Cox, Bruce Steinberg, Cameron and Martha Coleman with part of their haul.)




• The Brady Street Bunch, assisted by members of the Mount Vernon High School Ecology Club, retrieved a solid haul of 40 bags and a tire. Thanks as always to Vi Garbar, Joe Bavaria, and Mort Isler for a stellar effort. (At right, Mort Isler with his young crew.)




• The Gum Springs Gumboots, led by Bryan Birch, got quite a haul. (At right, with Benzell Floyd and their pile of 37 bags, 4 tires, 2 shopping carts, metal fencing, and more.)

  
  

• Queenie Cox, glutton for punishment and the only volunteer to work at two cleanup sites, picks up trash behind Gum Springs.




• On Orange Court, Allen and Barbara Davis (at right) recruited lots of neighbors and hauled 36 bags of trash, a wheel, and a VDOT street sign.




• Nearby on the Wagon Wheel Oxbow, Tom Fahy single-handedly hauled out 34 bags, a two foot plastic screw, and a patio chair.




• At far right, members of the Stratford Landing Armada, including captain Paul Siegel, Lisa and Celia Boertlein, and Linda Sweeney, with their pile of 27 bags, plastic alligator, fire extinguisher, plastic playset, chairs, etc. (They left the two large snakes where they were.) At right, Don Kraus and Hope Warshaw after unloading.

  
  

• Dennis McCloud, avid fly fisherman and member of the Wessynton Armada, hauling his canoe full of trash behind him.

Congratulations and Thanks to All!

The people mentioned above are just a few of the trash magnates (or is that trash magnets?) involved in the Little Hunting Creek Cleanup. Special thanks also go to the efforts of:

• All the stalwart site leaders who organized cleanup activities, including Roberta Cullen and Beate Whitesell (Stratford Landing), Mark and Julia Miller (Wessynton), Christa Cook and Judy Joyce (Riverside Estates), David Gahart (north Riverside Estates), Steve Robinson (First River Farms), Greg Crider (Williamsburg Manor Park).

• All the 175 remaining unmentioned volunteers.



• Quentin Marovelli and his wonderful county workers, who pick up all that trash promptly on Monday morning. You guys are the best!

  At right, the county's grapple truck hauling away the unbelievable pile of shopping carts pulled out in 2012.