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Milwaukee Riverkeeper Earth Day cleanup, thousands volunteer
The 28th annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Earth Day cleanup Saturday, April 22 had hundreds of people helping out to help the environment.
MILWAUKEE - Bowling balls in the river? It's not the weirdest thing volunteers found during the 28th annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Earth Day cleanup Saturday, April 22.
Anna Schultz isn't afraid to pick up anything. She said the more trash she collects, the better – and hopes the small part she plays makes a difference.
"We are picking up the gross stuff because we don’t want to pollute the Earth," she said.
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Anna and her dad, Steve Schultz, spent Earth Day at the spring cleanup. Steve said it's all about planting the seed for future generations.
"We wanted to come out on Earth Day to see what we could do to help the environment, and I think more than anything make sure that Anna has a sense of how to make a difference," he said.
28th annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Earth Day cleanup
Milwaukee Riverkeeper said 90% of trash found on the ground is plastic.
"(It) causes a lot of harm to wildlife, it can cause safety issues," said Jennifer Bolger Breceda, Milwaukee Riverkeeper executive director. "Our rivers and Lake Michigan form our drinking water source."
This Earth Day, more than 4,000 people were scattered over 80 locations across the Milwaukee River basin. Organizers said, together, they will be collecting over 100,000 pounds of trash.
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"Trash is a problem, and that's something that all of us have to work together to get people to understand the importance of not littering," said Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
Hundreds of volunteers came out for the biggest cleanup right behind American Family Field. People there found some interesting things.
"We found bowling balls, grocery carts, and we even have a bobblehead this morning when we were doing a little pre-cleaning," said Bolger Breceda.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper said there are other ways to protect the Earth and eliminate plastic, such as using wool balls in your dryer, reusable shopping bags and metal straws.
Earth Day cleanup on FOX6 WakeUp News
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Annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup
This Spring, Milwaukee Riverkeeper is starting Earth Day right by hosting its 28th Annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup.
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28th Annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup
It's Earth Day, and volunteers will pick up trash to tackle pollution at the river.
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28th Annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup: Volunteers making a difference
You can help by recycling or picking up trash on Earth Day.
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Rock the Green
After cleaning up the river, you can look forward to the post-event celebration with Rock the Green.
For more information on the cleanup, visit Milwaukee Riverkeeper's website.