For Immediate Release:
3/19/18
Contact:
Steven Gosset
| Steven.Gosset@nypa.gov
Media Relations | (914) 390-8192
NEW YORK STATE CANAL CORPORATION INVITES VOLUNTEERS TO 13TH ANNUAL CANAL CLEAN SWEEP EARTH WEEK WEEKEND Event and Volunteer Registration Now Open
ALBANY--The New York State Canal Corporation will partner with Parks & Trails New York for the 13th annual Canal Clean Sweep, which will bring together some 3,000 volunteers across the state to help beautify canal trails as New York prepares to celebrate the centennial of the state Canal System.
Most events will occur on Earth Day weekend, April 20-22. Groups fan out along the system to pick up tons of trash, clear brush and do landscaping.
Last year, there were more than 100 clean-up events along the 524-mile canal corridor, which includes the Erie, Oswego, Champlain and Cayuga-Seneca canals. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the New York State Canal System, formerly known as the Barge Canal.
“Canal Clean Sweep brought more than 150 groups and 3,000 volunteers to our magnificent canal and trail systems last year,” said Brian U. Stratton, Canal Corporation director. “As we celebrate a milestone season on the canals, we hope to see even greater participation, as we volunteer with neighbors to improve the canal’s scenic and historic sites, for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.”
The Erie Canalway Trail and the Champlain Canalway Trail will be completed by 2020 as part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Empire State Trail initiative, which at 750 miles will be the longest multi-use recreational trail network in the U.S.
The Erie Canalway Trail accommodates more than 1.5 million trips by pedestrians, bicyclists, and cross-country skiers annually. More than three-quarters of the 365-mile Erie Canalway Trail from Albany to Buffalo is a dedicated off-road trail, much of it along the canal’s former towpath.
To organize a Canal Clean Sweep event, or to find an existing event to volunteer at, go to the event finder map at https://www.ptny.org/events/canal-clean-sweep
For more information, contact Catherine Lamberson of Parks & Trails New York at clamberson@ptny.org or by telephone at 518-449-6067.
About the New York State Canal Corporation
New York’s canal system includes four historic canals: the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca. Spanning 524 miles, the waterway links the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. The canals form the backbone of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and connect hundreds of unique and historic communities. In 2018, New York is celebrating the bicentennial of the start of the Erie Canal’s construction.
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