Don Denney of Trout Unlimited disturbs sediment under rocks in Mouse Creek Saturday as Cleveland High School Students Tane Hopper and Emma Welborn capture any aquatic bugs that are stirred up. In photo DS405, the trio checks out the sediment and take a census of creek bugs.
Cleveland High School students Taylor Craft, left, Elizabeth Owens, center, and Alyssa Hawthorne, were among the volunteers picking trash out of Mouse Creek on Saturday.
Dozens of Cleveland High School students waded into Mouse Creek Saturday to fish out trash along part of the Cleveland/Bradley County Greenway.
Cleveland's Storm Water Division, the Cleveland/Bradley Keep America Beautiful and Friends of The Greenway, also took part.
They were joined by members of the new Creation Care Club from Lee University.
The students, some in waders, sloshed through the water to pick up plastic cups, license plates and other trash.
They worked their way from Cleveland High School to 25th Street. Walkers along the greenway occasionally complimented the students.
Meanwhile Don Denney of Trout Unlimited and two students collected sediment from beneath creek rocks in order to take a census of aquatic bugs.
The spring creek cleanup is part of the city stormwater program's public outreach, said Chris Broom, stormwater program coordinator. There will be another cleanup this fall that coincides with the regional Tennessee River Rescue, he said.
The greenway is an increasingly popular location for weekend events, said Missy Reynolds of Friends of The Greenway. May 9 will be Community Service Day. Many organizations that offer a variety of services will be at the Greenway Park at Raider Drive that day with activities for children and families.
The city of Cleveland will host its first Cleveland Recycles 5K Run and Walk the following weekend on May 16. The goal is to raise awareness about litter and the benefits of recycling. Parking will be available at the Greenway Park. In lieu of an entry fee, bring at least two recyclable items.
Registration information is available at the city website, clevelandtn.gov.