Town hosts Turkey Creek Litter Treasure Hunt
Volunteers can come on a treasure hunt for litter with town of Farragut Stormwater Matters Program.
From 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday June 11, volunteers will walk in Little Turkey Creek or along its banks, hunting for various pieces of trash. In the past volunteers have found flat screen TVs, carpets, car frames, baseballs and hubcaps.
“Litter comes in many forms, from plastic bottles, cans, paper, automotive parts sometimes, bicycles, couches. from the very small to the very large, and those can all have a negative impact on the aquatic ecosystem,” Lori Saal, Farragut Stormwater coordinator, said. “We’re doing this to remove those items so we can help the aquatic ecosystem thrive to its fullest and hopefully provide some restoration back to our stream.”
The Stormwater Matters program is piloting a project called “One Year Down the Drain: Turkey Creek.” As part of that project, the Town aims to conduct a stream cleanup each month for a year, including this year.
Waste collected from clean-ups will be displayed at the Town's Outdoor Classroom as an educational art exhibit.
The minimum age for children participating with adults is 10. The minimum age for people attending without a parent or guardian is 16. Volunteers will meet in the south parking lot at Founders Park at Campbell Station, located at 405 North Campbell Station Road.
People interested in the June 11 event can sign up at volunteerknoxville.org.
Saal said she prefers attendees sign up, but they can participate even if they have not previously registered.
Waders, trash pickers, trash bags, safety vests and gloves will be available for the volunteers. While supplies may be limited, the number of volunteers who can come are not.
“The more the merrier,” Saal said.
The number of waders is not an issue because not all volunteers will need to get in the water. Saal said they also can find trash on the stream banks.
Water will be provided for volunteers. They are advised to dress in outdoor clothing, in-cluding shoes that can muddy. Volunteers will receive a safety presentation at the beginning and they should be mindful of typical outdoor hazards, such as bees.
“Sometimes people are reluctant to get involved with it at first, but once they’ve experienced a stream cleanup, they learn a lot from the experience and they actually enjoy it,” Saal said.
For more information, contact Saal at lsaal@townoffarragut.org or 865-966-7057.
