The Creative Works Stream Team out of Joe’s Movement Emporium has been working diligently to maintain consistent clean-outs of the litter trap in the local Arundel canal right here in the city of Mount Rainier. The Arundel canal is a tributary of the Anacostia River and its watershed. Those who know of the Stream Team and our work should know that our focus is litter reduction overall but particularly in the local waterways. The “big picture” goal is to have a fishable and swimmable Anacostia River. We are calling on the people, the citizens, the residents, the families, the community of Mount Rainier to step up, step in, and help us with what seems to be a never-ending battle against polluters and litter.
Many people tend to not connect the dots between litter found on land (“Land-Litter”) and Litter found in Oceans, Bays, Lakes, Rivers, and Streams (“Water-Litter”). What is on the land can and usually will end up in a current somewhere and eventually in a larger body of water where it can potentially harm wildlife and negatively affect the water quality. While the Stream Team are doing its part, this is a task that really lives up to the saying of “it takes a community.” We are giving a heads up to the community of Mount Rainier that the Creative Works Stream Team will be canvassing, door to door, throughout Mount Rainier, in the near future. Our purpose will be to seek Block Leaders: individuals in the community who are willing to become part of a network we hope to create through this city.
This network will be similar to Neighborhood Watch or Crime Watchers only we’ll be asking folks to report on a consistent basis of how much if any litter accumulates on your particular block in the city. Blocks with high volumes of litter we can zone as “litter hot spots” and work to solve the litter problem, perhaps by hosting and leading a clean-up of your neighborhood.
If you see people in sky blue shirts at your door, don’t be alarmed, it’s only the Stream Team coming to try to defend our beautiful neighborhoods from pollution. Once we have attained a dedicated community group we’ll follow up with details on our overall community environmental protection plan. As always, to learn more about Joe’s Stream Team or to keep up with the efforts, please, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @JoesStreamTeam. Send us an email if you would like to at StreamTeamPG AT gmail DOT com with any questions or concerns.
