The South Carolina Wildlife Federation is partnering with the Harbison Community Association and the South Carolina Aquarium for a litter sweep at Archer’s Lake in Irmo, SC. on Saturday, April 27th. Archer’s Lake can be a great place for wintering waterfowl, but unfortunately it can also be filled with a significant amount of litter.
Please join us to clean the shorelines of this urban pond to create a cleaner and safer habitat not just for the waterfowl, but for wading birds, and songbirds too. We'll attack the problem by boat and by land to rid the location of dangerous trash, and use the South Carolina Aquarium’s app to record the data. These efforts will improve human health, promote habitat conservation, and save wildlife.
Last year we picked up over 5,000 pieces of litter at this same location! Check out this blog post from last year’s event to see the impact that we made in just a few hours.
Litter is a pervasive problem with the potential to negatively affect all living things. From South Carolina’s mountain streams to its island beaches, plastics and other improperly discarded materials not only destroy the beauty of our landscape but also can be harmful to us. Rainwater pooled in plastic litter provides a breeding ground for disease-spreading mosquitoes. Plastics and cigarette butts may leach dangerous toxins into our water supply. Aggregations of litter can clog storm drains, harm wildlife, and harbor disease-causing microbes.
Tracking and removing plastics and other types of litter from both terrestrial and marine habitats throughout our state will provide invaluable data to help South Carolina fix our pollution problem. It will also open the eyes of our residents to how much pollution there is, and hopefully motivate them to lead their own clean-ups throughout the state.
Please wear clothes appropriate for the weather. Gloves, trash grabbers, and bags will be provided by the Harbison Community Association. Please sign up on the link below so we have the appropriate amount of equipment for the group. Snacks and water will be provided, and you will recieve an email with parking informaiton before the event.
Thank you for joining with us to make Archer’s Lake a safer home for wildlife!