As an eco-friendly organization, Spring is a very busy time of year for the folks at Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GC&B). Typically, at the onset of the season, the team would be occupied with issuing a call for volunteers and nailing down last-minute preparations for its popular Great Gwinnett Wetlands event to positively impact Gwinnett’s local waterways and wetlands. They would also be planning for big crowds to attend their Earth Day Recycling Event – which had swelled in size in recent years, making it necessary to move from the original location of Coolray Field to Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case for either event this Spring. Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, Great Gwinnett Wetlands – originally scheduled for April 25 – and the Earth Day Recycling Event – originally scheduled for May 2 – have both been postponed for later dates sometime in the Fall.

“A major element of our mission is to protect the well-being of our neighbors in the Gwinnett County community, as well as safeguard the health and beauty of our environment,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “While that normally involves clean air and water measures, in this case, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and our partners at Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources and Solid Waste Management made the difficult but necessary decision to postpone both events for the safety of our staffs, volunteers and participants. Out of an abundance of caution, we are adhering to directives outlined by the Georgia Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to limit large gatherings in hopes of flattening the curve and halting the spread of the coronavirus. We still plan to host both events on the other side of this crisis – most likely in the Fall. In the meantime, we remain committed to environmental sustainability and we look forward to seeing our neighbors at our next community event.”

Hosted at Bromolow Creek and Wetlands in Duluth, the Great Gwinnett Wetlands cleanup event – which celebrated its fifth anniversary last year – is designed to grow awareness and promote the ongoing stewardship of Gwinnett’s wetlands and water resources. It serves as a collaboration between GC&B and Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources. Wetlands serve as filters for streams, rivers and lakes, as well as habitats for local wildlife – so this annual cleanup and education event is impactful. The Earth Day Recycling Event marks Gwinnett County’s commemoration of a global event observed by 1 billion people in nearly 200 countries. Considered the world’s largest civic-focused day of action, the Earth Day event represents another important collaboration – this time between the team at GC&B and Gwinnett County Solid Waste Management. During the event, volunteers help collect paint, tires and electronics for disposal or recycling, as well as paper for secure shredding. To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its events and programs, please visit www.gwinnettcb.org.