Editor’s Note: This is a message from Piney Woods Conservation Group about hosting a clean up of Red Bluff on Saturday.
We want to extend a massive thank you to everyone who came out and participated in our 2024 Clean Sweep event at Red Bluff in Morgantown! Together, we made a significant impact, removing an impressive 833 pounds of debris from this beautiful area — 89 pounds of recyclables and 744 pounds of trash. We are talking tires, ice chests, tents, thousands of bottles and cans, plastic food packaging, styrofoam, restaurant cups and so much more! It’s a tremendous achievement and a testament to what we can accomplish when we come together for a cause.
We were thrilled to have more than 50 volunteers join us from all across Mississippi, including folks from the Gulf Coast, Jackson, Hattiesburg, Columbia and Foxworth. We had several families getting involved, with everyone venturing into the ravine to help clean up some of the most impacted areas. A special shout-out goes to Ian Stewart, who bravely rappelled down from the rim to reach hard-to-access places, allowing us to pull up even more trash using ropes — your dedication is inspiring!
We were also joined by many hikers who were visiting Red Bluff and decided to pitch in after seeing our efforts. Among the standout volunteers were James Easterling and his son, Levi, who fully committed their time and energy to the cleanup. As regular hikers at Red Bluff, their connection to the area was clear, and we truly appreciate their hard work from start to finish.
Our site leaders, Shawn Harris and Christy Holder, were instrumental in organizing the event and making sure everything ran smoothly. Paul Dunbar and Shan Thompson, a couple of our Piney Woods Conservation Group board members, played a big role in hauling supplies to and from the site, making the day much easier for everyone. We’d also like to thank Jesse Johnson for capturing the day’s efforts with photography and Sam McAlister for documenting the cleanup with video and drone footage.
We had the pleasure of welcoming Abby Braman from Pearl Riverkeeper, who made time to join us despite coordinating over 29 cleanup events across Mississippi that same day. A big thank you to Keep Nature Wild for donating bags, swag and sticker packs for this event. Yvette Cutrer from Keep Columbia and Marion County Beautiful also lent her support, further connecting our efforts to larger community initiatives. A big thank you as well to Marion County Supervisor Tony Morgan, who ensured the safe disposal of all the trash collected.
We are also thankful to SoPro for donating filtered water to keep volunteers hydrated. Maybe next year we do one cooler of water and one of a refreshing sour, wink wink SoPro.
Last but not least, congratulations to Bob Summers, who won the big giveaway prize! We were thrilled to give out shirts and stickers to almost everyone who came, and we hope they serve as a reminder of the incredible impact we made together.
Thank you again to all of the volunteers, families, and community members who took time out of their weekend to help restore Red Bluff. Your hard work, passion and commitment are what keep Mississippi’s natural beauty alive and thriving! We couldn’t have done it without you!
