Madison Park

We want to recognize the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation as the Adopt-A-Stream volunteer of the year! They have been an active organization since 2013 and have adopted 8 stream segments. In addition to cleaning their adopted segments, they recruit and organize large numbers of volunteers for Riversweep! Each year they host several cleanups along the Catawba River, pulling in thousands of volunteers from all surrounding counties. Since 2013, the Catawba Riverkeepers have engaged and organized over 1,445 volunteers who’ve collected a whopping 67,000 pounds of trash from streams and stream banks! This year alone, with the help of over 160 dedicated volunteers they collected a total of 3000 pounds of trash just at Riversweep within Mecklenburg County. We’re grateful for their dedication and determination to keeping surface waters clean.

Charlotte Public Tree Fund (CPTF) is our Tree Planting & Maintenance Volunteer Group of the Year.  CPTF partners with CMSWS and other organizations each year to plant hundreds of trees within Mecklenburg County during Creek ReLeaf, an annual tree planting event.  Through Creek ReLeaf and other associated programs, over 15,000 trees have been planted with the participation of 5,000 + volunteers since CPTF’s inception. CPTF, led by Rick Roti and board members has been a tremendous asset towards environmental stewardship in the county.  Way to Go CPTF!
 

This year we’d like to recognize Sarah B. as our Adopt-A-Drain Volunteer of the year! Sarah has been a part of the Adopt-A-Drain Program since the beginning in 2021! She has been very active in monitoring her drain that she has named “Nigel”. Over the years, Sarah has monitored her drain over 20 times, removing any debris and making sure only rain goes down that drain. Thanks for taking care of Nigel, Sarah!
 

The storm drain marking volunteer of the year is Kurt B. He came to our September VolunThursday and helped clean up Sugar Creek by picking up litter and gluing storm drain markers on nearby storm drains. After leaving that event, he reached out to staff wanting to mark drains in his part of the County. He quickly placed 50 markers in his neighborhood and has been working on another 100 throughout this Fall. Thank you, Kurt, for spreading the message that storm drains lead to our waterways!
 

We are highlighting Ishana K as the Volunteer of the Year for Volunteer Monitoring! Ishana is a student at Providence High School who has monitored Four Mile and McAlpine Creek over the past year. She used her data from the program to compare water quality in different environments. Recently her work has been accepted by The Journal of Emerging Investigators, and that’s no small feat! Congrats on your paper, Ishana, we look forward to seeing all the great work you accomplish in the future!
 

As the trees shake off those last bit of leaves, this is the perfect time of year to participate in our Adopt-A-Drain Program! If you live near a drain in Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville, and Davidson, you can participate! By participating in this program, you will check your adopted drain once a month and make sure it is clear of any debris or trash. You can monitor the storm drain for any pollutants, damage, or odors and report these issues to Charlotte Mecklenburg Storm Water Services (CMSWS) by calling 311. Additionally, reminders will be sent out by CMSWS before forecasted heavy rains so that volunteers can ensure the storm drain(s) are free of debris so rain can quickly enter the drain. Check out our page for more details and to sign up for the Adopt-A-Drain Program!
 

There are so many ways you can actively help keep surface waters clean. One major way is to pick up after your pets! Bacteria is a pollutant that can be found in pet waste. This pollution can easily be collected when pet owners pick up after their animal. If you or a neighbor needs pet waste disposal bags, please reach out to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services (stormwaterservices@mecknc.gov) and they can provide individuals with one. If your neighborhood needs pet waste stations, Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District (conserve@mecknc.gov) can assist you with installing one through their Urban Cost Share Program. Visit StormWater.CharMeck.org for more information about ways to help keep our water clean.
 

Happy Holidays, see you next year!

Visit StormWater.CharMeck.org for more information about stormwater pollution prevention, projects, volunteer programs, and much more!