May River cleanup to feature new adopt-a-stream program
The May River flows through the heart of Bluffton, and has played an integral role in the town’s history and development. One of the ways the town maintains the health and beauty of the river is through its two annual cleanup events.
Since 2000, Bluffton has held an annual spring sweep, and since 2008 has participated in the state-wide South Carolina Beach and River Cleanup program that is held in the fall.
Nicole Wright, the stormwater technician in Bluffton’s Watershed Management Division who oversees the program, said this spring’s cleanup will feature something special.
“For the first time at the event, South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream will also hold a mini-Tidal Saltwater Workshop where volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about the program and how they can help monitor local waterbodies and preserve water quality,” she said. “Beaufort County and Bluffton have large expanses of salt marsh, tidal rivers and deep channels that provide for a high level of biodiversity, allowing wildlife such as oysters, dolphins, and cobia, to flourish.”
The new workshop will be in addition to the many other educational displays that will be on hand during and after the cleanup. Coastal Kingdom, a local nature show, is once again partnering with the town and M. C. Riley Elementary to host the School Participation Challenge. Students that participate in the May River Cleanup will be given an animal presentation at the end of the school year.
“Spring is always a bigger event because we partner with the schools, and it’s fun to watch the kids interact and learn,” said Wright. “We’re hoping for some really good weather.”
This past September’s beach sweep resulted in a waste collection total of 1,719 pounds picked up by 200 volunteers of all ages. A year earlier, the collection resulted in nearly 600 pounds, but the difference is not because there was more to pickup but the number and kinds of volunteers who showed up.
“We’re really lucky. Since we’ve partnered with the Bluffton Paddle Club, they’ve been really active, and I think they have a lot more to do,” Wright said. “We had more volunteers in 2024 and more kayaking volunteers, so we were able to collect more trash. We’re really grateful we had a bunch more people last year.”
One of the kayakers was photographed with an orange-and-white highway barrel balanced on the front of his kayak.
“I don’t know how he managed to get that up there,” said Wright. “Since the town began the cleanup events, more than 5,000 volunteers have come together help protect the May River and collected over 70,000 pounds of litter from her shores.”
Out of the 1,719 total collected in the fall, 479 pounds was diverted to waste landfills. Mixed recycling weighed in at 62 pounds of plastic, aluminum, glass bottles and cardboard. Construction debris, which weighed 417 pounds out of the total, included wood and metal debris, bulk plastics, foam and textile debris.
Mike Bennett is the CEO and owner of i2recycle, a local recycled waste management and consulting company, and he has participated in the town’s sweeps since 2015.
“The May River cleanup in general has been very successful on a couple different fronts. It’s one of the more mature programs where everyone picks up both recycled material and trash,” Bennett said. “Everyone understands when you come to the May River cleanup, you are expected to learn about the difference between recycling and trash. I love it because it’s an educational opportunity for us to help people learn about what’s recyclable and participate and gain some trust in the system.”
Upon returning to the park, volunteers separate the litter they collect into two bags. i2recycle processes and recycles the appropriate types of litter.
In some cases, those who walked the streets in September did not seem to find a great amount of trash. Part of that is due to the town staff’s diligence.
“Our public services department does a really good job at keeping the town clean so we’re a victim of our own success by telling people not to litter,” said Wright. “There are still a couple of spots, though, where if you move out away from Old Town you might find more.”
And that’s the thing about volunteering for the sweeps: there is a lot of walking around for those not out on the water.
The town’s spring cleanup is from 9-11:30 a.m. May 3rd at the Oyster Factory Park. Boaters and kayakers should arrive at 8:30 to allow time for setup.
Those choosing to stay ashore should come prepared with closed-toe shoes and be prepared to get dirty and work. Volunteers can pick up trash bags, gloves and vests provided by American Rivers, Palmetto Pride, Keep Beaufort County Beautiful, and Beaufort County Solid Waste & Recycling.
The town will provide sunscreen, bug spray, water, snacks and later lunch. Coffee and hot chocolate will be provided by Corner Perk.
The Town of Bluffton and the County-wide stormwater education consortium, Lowcountry Stormwater Partners, partner with i2 Recycle, Corner Perk, the Outside Foundation, Keep Beaufort County Beautiful, American Rivers, Palmetto Running Company, Port Royal Sound Foundation, Bluffton Paddle Club, The Dolphin Project, the Beaufort County Solid Waste & Recycling Division, Palmetto Pride, SCDNR, and the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium.
Educational booths on display will be provided by Lowcountry Stormwater Partners, The Outside Foundation, The Dolphin Project, Port Royal Sound Foundation, Keep Beaufort County Beautiful, and Bluffton Running Company. The booths will be available for volunteers to visit after they’ve dropped off their collections.
This event is a family friendly event. There will be activities for children to learn about the natural world around them and how to protect the May River, as well as paint a rain barrel.
“Come prepared to get dirty, work and have fun,” said Wright.
