U.S. Forest Service co-sponsors Super Clean Sweep cleanup in Leon County, Fla.

TALLAHASSEE - The U.S. Forest Service partnered with volunteer organizations, county and city agencies to sponsor the ninth annual Super Clean Sweep on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011.

The U.S. Forest Service and community volunteers help pick up debris at Lake Munson in the Apalachicola National Forest during the Super Clean Sweep cleanup event on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011. Super Clean Sweep is a community-wide event held every year throughout Leon County, Fla., as part of the Keep Tallahassee Leon County Beautiful program. U.S. Forest Service photo by Susan Blake.

Super Clean Sweep is a community-wide event associated with the Keep Tallahassee Leon County Beautiful program. The event attracted 103 volunteers who participated in cleanup efforts throughout Leon County, Fla., which includes parts of the Apalachicola National Forest. 

According to community volunteer Sharon Gray, several organizations have signed on to help sponsor the event over the years. Businesses such as Super Lube stepped up to the plate as well as Southern Trail Riders and the Tallahassee Off Road Club which have consistently supported the cleanup effort. In addition, Forest Deputy Clay Humphries, of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office has been a great resource to the event organizers.

“Bennett Basden was my Forest Service contact last year, and again this year. He does a good job of getting the word out about the event and encouraging Forest Service staff to participate. Seeing my neighbors, community volunteers, the user groups and the Forest Service staff working side by side in the cleanup is very rewarding,” said Gray.

The volunteers bagged trash, in addition to collecting everything from mattresses to electronics. Leon County Solid Waste Division, another sponsor of the event, hauled away close to 24,000 pounds of debris.

 “We try to have ‘hot spots’ identified in advance,” Gray said. “We want to have as much impact as we can.”

According to U.S. Forest Service Heritage Program Manager Rhonda Kimbrough, “It was heart-warming to see the variety of volunteer participants with ages ranging from toddlers to seniors.  It was also nice to know that other people feel as we do, that the forest should be respected.”

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