Rochester area will hold clean-up events this weekend ahead of Earth Day

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — In honor of Earth Day on Monday, groups are asking for volunteers to help with community clean-up events across the Rochester area this weekend. Here are some of those events:

Monroe County Parks (Saturday)

Monroe County is calling on volunteers to help clean up its parks on Saturday. Volunteers will be at the county’s 22 parks, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to noon.

You can sign up for roles including picking up litter, raking leaves and other debris, sweeping shelters, removing weeds, and carrying out trash. You can sign up to volunteer here.

Canal Clean Sweep (Saturday)

The Canal Clean Sweep, an series of annual events to clean up the Erie Canal and other canals across New York State, runs from Friday through Saturday.

Last year, 3,500 people volunteered to join 150 clean-up events across the state. It’s organized by Parks & Trails New York with support from the state’s Canal Corporation. You can see a complete list of clean-up events and sign up here. Here are some of the local events:

• Corn Hill Navigation Clean Up of the Rochester Riverway on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will meet at 280 Exchange Blvd. Feel free to park in the “retail parking” lot in front of the building. Light refreshments will be provided at the office.

• Southwest Rochester Rotary Canal Clean Sweep on Saturday at 10 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will enter the parking lot from Elmwood Avenue at the Genesee Valley Sports Complex, the drive to the back of the parking lot near the Genesee Waterways Center. Gloves, bags, water and snacks will be provided.

• MEL’s Clean Sweep on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will meet behind REI along the canal anytime after 9:30 a.m. As a group, volunteers will clean the two-mile stretch of the Erie Canal from Meridian Centre Park, Brighton NY to 15A overpass in Henrietta.

• Canal Cleanup and Matzah! on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Volunteers will meet at the Rochester JCC parking area behind the Canal Trail and across from Lock 33 at Edgewood Avenue. The Erie Canal Tidying Crew will celebrate the 2024 spring season with Passover matzah, music, refuse bags, gloves and camaraderie.

Durand Eastman Beach (Saturday)

Seneca Park Zoo is organizing a community clean-up event at Durand Eastman Beach on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will meet at the parking lot. Tools, bags, and gloves will be provided and all ages are welcome to attend. You can register here.

Russell’s / Chili Avenue Park (Saturday)

The group Keep Gates Clean is holding a community clean-up on Saturday at the Russell’s / Chili Avenue Park. Volunteers will meet at the Dunkin’ on the corner of Buffalo and Howard roads at 3 p.m. You can learn more here.