The Tillamook Bay Watershed Council will host its biennial Tillamook Bay Clean-up on St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17th. The community is invited to volunteer for this important event, joining private landowners, local businesses, SOLVE, the Tillamook Bay Watershed Council, Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) and Tillamook County Solid Waste Department, all in an effort to make Tillamook Bay a more beautiful place. Volunteers will gather at the Bay City Arts Center at 9:00AM for a kick-off meeting with complimentary coffee and pastries. Eight teams will be formed, each with a local team-leader who will assist volunteers, ensure safe handling of hazardous waste, and steer teams away from private property, as necessary. Garbage will be staged at a number of sites around the bay for pick-up, either by truck or by boat, depending on road access. Cleanup teams will return to the Arts Center between 1:00PM and 2:00PM, and the event will culminate in an after-party from 2:00PM to 5:00PM. Locally-made food and drink will be provided by sponsors as volunteers share their stories and photos from the day. The Tillamook Bay Cleanup is a family-friendly event, with a number of cleanup routes that will be appropriate for kids who are accompanied by an adult. The Bay City Arts Center is located in the center of Bay City at 5680 A Street, Bay City, 97107.
Volunteers can expect large amounts of floating debris including plastic bottles, flip-flops, shotgun shells and styrofoam. Volunteers are encouraged to register on the SOLVE website, solveoregon.org or call SOLVE at (503) 844-9751 ext. 321 or 321, or 1-800-333-SOLV(7658).
The growing list of local sponsors for the 2018 Tillamook Bay Cleanup include City Sanitary Service, R-Sanitary, Tillamook County Solid Waste, Tillamook County Parks, the Bay City Arts Center, Pacific Seafood, Pelican Brewing, KTIL, the Headlight Herald, the Hook Line & Sinker, Barview Jetty Store, and the Tillamook County Creamery Association.
The Tillamook Bay Watershed Council and the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership are not-for-profit organizations building collaborative, voluntary partnerships with communities and landowners, to protect, maintain and improve the health of the watershed through on-the-ground restoration projects, educational outreach programs, and other community-engagement activities. SOLVE is a statewide nonprofit organization that brings Oregonians together to improve the environment and build a legacy of stewardship.
To become a team leader or sponsor, or for more information, please contact Rob Russell, TBWC Coordinator, at 503-322-0002, or via email at tillamookbaywatershedcouncil@gmail.com.
