2025 Ohio River Sweep on the Hocking to take place Aug. 23

Keeping rivers clean is crucial for fresh drinking water, people鈥檚 livelihoods and protecting essential ecosystems. The annual Ohio River Sweep on the Hocking is a great opportunity to help clean up a waterway vital to 花季传媒, the City of Athens and southeast Ohio. The River Sweep is a volunteer trash clean-up event along the Hocking River within the Athens City limits.

翱贬滨翱鈥檚 Center for Community Engagement is calling for volunteers from the University and Athens communities to participate in the on Saturday, Aug. 23. Check in begins at 8:30 a.m. and clean-up will take place from 9 a.m. to noon. After the morning clean-up, participants are invited to join in a free picnic-style lunch at noon.

Volunteers will be in small groups to cover a selected section of the river. Participants are asked to wear closed-toed shoes, dress for the weather and the possibility of sun exposure and tall grass. Gloves and trash bags will be provided and early registrants will get an event t-shirt. A signed release is required of all volunteers, and participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Pre-registration is required by Aug. 21, at .

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"The Ohio River Sweep on the Hocking was a great experience,鈥� said Clay Williams, a 2024 OHIO graduate who participated in last year鈥檚 River Sweep. 鈥淚 learned a little bit of how important it is to prevent water pollution in the Hocking River as it is a major waterway that leads to the Ohio River, which stretches as far as 1,000 miles. It felt good getting my hands dirty and getting involved to help make the community a much healthier place."

花季传媒 Professor of Environmental Studies and stream water quality expert Natalie Kruse Daniels, Ph.D., is not involved with the 2025 Ohio River Sweep on the Hocking directly but says it鈥檚 an excellent opportunity to engage with the environment.

鈥淩emoving trash from our waterways is really important,鈥� said Kruse Daniels. 鈥淭hat trash does have consequences, it can contaminate the river or hurt wildlife, and it鈥檚 a problem that accumulates over time and space. Events like this are important to get people involved and engaged.鈥�

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