Letter to Editor: Big Thanks to Great Islands Clean-up Team

— from Danielle Wheeler for Orcas Recycling —

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Orcas Island is once again a litter-free zone! Thanks so much to all 102 volunteers who came out Saturday, April 23, the day after Earth Day, and collected 1,680 pounds of garbage, 180 pounds of recyclables, and covered 27.85 miles of Orcas public roads and beaches!

The cleanup was simultaneously taking place on San Juan Island and Lopez Island. The Exchange/ORS organized Orcas Island’s participation in the Great Islands Clean Up, which is a countywide greening effort sponsored by a grant from the Department of Ecology through San Juan County Public Works.

This was the third year Orcas Island has participated in it, and it was a record year! Because of the many volunteers and businesses on Orcas that were involved, we were able to cover more ground and have more volunteers this year than ever before. In addition to the main checkpoint at the Eastsound Village Green, there were satellite checkpoints at Orcas Village, Deer Harbor, Rosario, Olga, and Doe Bay. Now, the whole island is squeaky clean!

Special thanks to the following super volunteers (in no specific order): Eric Morris, Dirul-Islam Shamsid-Deen, Audrey Nedderman, Brieanna Bitzer, Holly Petitjean, Danielle Wheeler, Sam Wheeler, Michael Cleveland, Larry Coddington, Mark Mayer, and Kira Bradshaw (who founded the cleanup on Orcas in 2014).

And many thanks to our business sponsors that provided supplies for the cleanup and rewards for volunteers (also in no specific order): Island Hoppin’ Brewery, Island Market, Orcas Food Co-op, Rose’s Bakery, Eastsound Sporting Goods, Rays Pharmacy, Café Olga, Pawki’s, Ace Hardware, Island Hardware, Wildlife Cycles, Smith & Speed Mercantile, Orcas Book Exchange, New Leaf Café, Score! Nifty Thrifty, Doe Bay Resort & Retreat, Earthballs, Office Cupboard, Chimayo, San Juan Sanitation, and Orcas Events.

Thanks again, see you next April.