In order to do our part and stop the spread of COVID-19, all volunteers must register online. No paper waivers will be accepted. Each site is limited to a maximum of 25 volunteers. In addition, one week prior to volunteering at the 2020 Earth Day Cleanup all registrants must be able to meet the following requirements of our screening survey:
On September 26, one week before the event, volunteers will have the opportunity to certify that all of the above statements are true in order to volunteer. Please make sure you follow these guidelines if you want to participate in this year's cleanup. We also ask that all registrants do not unsubscribe from our email list so we can better communicate with you about Earth Day.
On the day of the event, we ask all participants to arrive wearing a facemask, and that they observe all physical distancing guidelines by staying 6ft apart from others.
The Anacostia Watershed Society’s Earth Day Cleanup is a DC-area tradition where thousands of volunteers cleanup sites all along the Anacostia River and its tributary streams throughout the watershed in DC, Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.
Registration opens on September 1. When it does, you can choose a site from the map on the main page, register for it, then come to that location on Earth Day and make a difference for the Anacostia River! The rest of this FAQ has more details.
Yes! In order to volunteer at the 2020 Earth Day Cleanup, all volunteers must register online and complete the screening survey no earlier than one week prior to the event between September 26 and October 1.
You will receive an initial confirmation email, and then on September 26 you will receive another email for a link to complete the screening questionnaire. Your registration is official when you complete the screening questionnaire.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, all volunteers must pre-register or register with a group. We also won’t have those awesome shirts for you if you don’t register.
When you register to volunteer, you are asked for your t-shirt size! When you check in on the morning of the Earth Day Cleanup, your site leader will give you a shirt.
Yes! Please pay attention to the site information, because some sites are a little too burdensome for little hands. Sites that are not recommended for children are clearly marked on the map of volunteer sites. We trust that parents will make informed decisions about what is best for themselves and their families.
Yes! If you bring the paperwork, AWS site leaders and staff at your site will sign off on your child’s hours.
Unfortunately, all volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult over 18. Everyone needs to register online.
Group registrations will work differently this year. All participants must register through the registration website. For more information, please contact Emily Castelli at [email protected].
Corporate groups are encouraged to contact Emily Conrad at [email protected] or at 301-699-6204 x111 for more information about volunteering, and the benefits of becoming an Earth Day sponsor!
It is wonderful that so many volunteers participate in the AWS Earth Day Cleanup, and we plan to have as many people that each site needs to become cleaner. Sometimes these sites get full… but the sites that aren’t full still need you! We kindly ask that you pick your second choice site.
If the site that you want still has spots available, just re-enter your registration for the new site. Send an email to [email protected] so we can delete the registration that you don’t want.
Once you have registered, please only contact your site leader with site specific questions or concerns about location and directions. You can find your site leader contact information in the confirmation email you receive upon registering. We encourage you to have your site leader's phone number handy on the day of the event in case you need assistance finding your site that morning.