SOLVE, Volunteers Clean Up Myriad Parts of Oregon in August

Published 08/18/2020 at 7:43 PM PDT
By OREGON TRAVEL DAILY STAFF

(Portland, Oregon) – Despite the pandemic, Oregonians have made it clear that volunteering was a priority around the state, as nearly 100 cleanup events were held through SOLVE IT for Oregon in the first two weeks of August.

Since large scale events were impossible, the DIY ethic took over Oregon, spurred on by SOLVE. The organization said 80 smaller volunteer events were put together all over the state, with the goal of cleaning up and restoring Oregon’s parks, neighborhoods, and communities. In total, volunteers collected an estimated 9,889 pounds of trash, in addition to removing invasive plant species and participating in other restoration efforts on nearly 17,000 square feet of land.

This is the first year for SOLVE IT for Oregon, after SOLVE IT for Earth Day was cancelled in April due to COVID-19. SOLVE IT for Oregon followed SOLVE’s new Event Safety Guidelines, which included eliminating the use of shared equipment, ensuring that volunteers maintained social distancing, and requiring the use of masks when a minimum of six feet of distance was not possible, among other measures.
Event highlights include the Seaside Aquarium’s Treasure the Beach event that took place on August 1 on Seaside Beach, where volunteers collected nearly 400 pounds of litter and marine debris, some of which was separated out to be recycled.

Sunriver’s Homeowners Association 20th Annual War on Weeds event brought out 42 volunteers who participated over the course of two weeks to remove and properly dispose of 90 SOLVE bags of invasive plant species like thistle.

Detrash Portland, a grassroots litter cleanup organization from Portland also had a successful event on August 15. Over 40 individuals collected more than 200 pounds of litter from Portland’s Lloyd District and the area surrounding the Oregon Convention Center.

Community groups, individuals, and business groups were all part of the effort to make SOLVE IT for Oregon a great success. SOLVE is proud to support cleanup and restoration efforts across Oregon.

Other event sponsors include: Metro, Clean Water Services, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Washington County, the City of Beaverton, Holman Enterprises, Genentech, Advantis Credit Union, K103fm, and KOIN 6.

Visit solveoregon.org for more information, or how to arrange your own micro cleanup.