Anti-Litter Campaign Focuses on the Dan River
December 10, 2024
With a generous sponsorship from The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region and Danville Parks and Recreation, the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) successfully completed an anti-litter campaign this year to raise awareness about protecting the Dan River. The campaign, called “Love the Dan River” focused on solutions to litter issues happening along the Dan River. During the campaign, DRBA addressed simple ways people can make a positive impact in their daily lives on the environment around them.
Traci Petty, Grant and Scholarship Manager of The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region, says, "The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region is proud to support the work of the Dan River Basin Association. Preserving and maintaining the natural beauty and health of the Dan River is essential for both the environment and the community. Efforts like these promote our donor's desire to not only promote sustainability, but also foster a deep connection between residents and their local ecosystem."
In partnership with Danville Parks and Recreation, fifty signs were placed on trash cans along the Dan River in public parks and along the Danville Riverwalk trail with the saying, “Fill the Can, Save the Dan.” In addition, two fishing line collection bins were installed along the Dan River at highly visited fishing areas including Angler’s Park and Union Street Overlook. Fishing line does not degrade naturally and can remain unchanged in the aquatic environment for decades. As a result, discarded fishing lines in waterways can inadvertently snare wildlife.
Two interpretive signs were installed along the Dan River to help educate the community about how litter can affect the wildlife that live in and depend on the river for survival. The sign design features a clean river with abundant species of wildlife visiting the river for drinking water and relying on it for sources of food. The sign promotes “protecting our natural resources for future generations” in both English and Spanish for all visitors to learn about the impacts of litter on the delicate food web system that is intertwined with the Dan River.
Samuel Howarth, Parks and Recreation Facilities and Services Planner, of Danville Parks and Recreation says, “Danville is a river community. You can’t tell the story of Danville without mentioning the Dan River. We all need to do our part in maintaining a healthy river. One way to do this is to stop littering. I hope that this anti-litter campaign will spread awareness on the negative effects of litter in our natural environment. If you’re in one of our parks or along the Riverwalk Trail, please place your litter in one of our many trash receptacles. Our goal is to have a healthy community for all residents of Danville, even the ones that live in the Dan River.”
DRBA also held two art contests focusing on solutions to litter problems along the Dan River for elementary and high school students. The storm drain awareness contest was held for third grade students in Danville City Public Schools with the theme of protecting the Dan River and the wildlife that lives in it. Third grader, Rory Busby from Forest Hills Elementary won the storm drain art contest with a design of an otter and the slogan “rivers rule, pollution drools.” The design was painted on the storm drain at M.C. Martin Park in Danville.
The high school contest was a poster contest that featured an original slogan and solutions to the litter problems along the river. Madison Barker, an 11th grade student of Tunstall High School in Pittsylvania County won the contest with her slogan, “Don’t pollute the Dan River, Take away your litter.” Her design will be printed on an anti-litter poster that will be provided to schools in the City of Danville.
Krista Hodges, DRBA’s Education Manager said, “DRBA is thrilled to promote an anti-litter campaign that focuses on protecting one of our most precious natural resources, the Dan River. Many people in the City of Danville depend on the Dan River for their drinking water, and we believe that with education and small changes each day, all of it can add up to make a positive impact on the health of our waterways.”
DRBA's education programs focus on the positive impact people can make in their daily lives that will help protect local natural resources and instill a sense of lifelong connection to the environment. To learn more about DRBA's environmental education programs that reach 8,000 students throughout the Dan River basin annually, visit danriver.org.
The mission of the Dan River Basin Association is to promote and protect the natural and cultural resources of the Dan River Basin through education, recreation, and stewardship. DRBA works to fulfill that mission by building river accesses and trails, educating people of all ages about protecting our natural resources, and protecting our water resources through water quality monitoring, cleanups and master planning. The Dan River basin is 3,300 square miles including sixteen counties throughout Virginia and North Carolina.
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