Volunteers are needed to cleanup trash and debris from the shores of Wolf Bay, including its tributaries, this Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon. 

The cleanup will get underway at Wolf Bay Lodge, a local restaurant with a nearby boat launch, which is off County Road 20, east of Alabama Highway 59, according to Stan Mahoney, executive director of the Wolf Bay Watershed Watch, a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the watershed’s preservation.

“I need people with boats and even people without boats,” Mahoney said.  “If you don’t have a boat, you can show up and work on a crew.”

Organizers also need volunteers who can “help with registration, assigning areas to clean, cooking and serving lunch, unloading trash and weighing trash,” according to Liz Langston, a board member with the watershed watch. 

Langston said that volunteers are encouraged to bring items that will assist with the cleanup including “wheel barrows, trash pokers or pinchers, and other tools that may be useful” and she recommended that gloves, water, sunscreen, bug spray and cell phones be brought along. 

“Wear clothes and shoes that will protect you and that you don’t mind getting muddy,” she added, and “please, no unaccompanied children.”

Mahoney said that the effort will enhance Wolf Bay’s new-found legacy as an Outstanding Alabama Water (OAW), the highest water quality classification in the state.

In April, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management designated Wolf Bay as OAW, much to the decade-long efforts of the watershed watch. 

Last year, Mahoney said the cleanup yielded nearly five tons of trash, including sections of a pier, numerous plastic water bottles, beach umbrellas, tables, chairs, and 6-pack rings, among other undesirable items. 

“We need a good turnout this year to protect our watershed and ensure its health,” Mahoney said. 

The cleanup is being organized by the watershed watch and area organizations.

Free t-shirts and other items will be given away on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last. 

Contact John Griggs for additional information at 955-1443