Unchoking the Chesapeake

Rubbish pollutes waterways, kills marine and other wildlife and makes communities unattractive. The rubbish that can be seen strewn along the banks of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, US, is proof that this historical area is badly in need of care and a clean-up. Half of the state is drained by rivers which flow into the bay, and two-thirds of Virginia’s population lives within its watershed. When it rains, their rubbish flows into Chesapeake Bay.

Clean the Bay Day is an annual statewide event organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, in partnership with many municipal and business partners working together to restore the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams. To date, nearly 90,000 volunteers have picked up nearly 2 million kilograms of trash along 7,000 kilometers of shoreline. Last year alone 7,000 people took part.

 

Volvo Penta, which has its US headquarters in Chesapeake, is a sponsor of Clean the Bay Day. It contributes boats to the clean-up effort and encourages its employees to take part in the event.