Clean Up

By Michele Robertson

Trash along roadways, the river, and on public recreation land is often an issue in Carlsbad and the surrounding area. Queta Doporto, and her husband Alvin Doporto decided to tackle the problem. They hosted a clean-up on Callaway Drive in June and on Boyd Drive in July. Doporto says her and her husband Alvin are already working with Mary Garwood, director of Keep Carlsbad Beautiful to organize another clean-up.

“I was inspired by my seven-year-old son Benji Doporto. He pointed out the amount of trash thrown along the roads. We started by cleaning down our street for a while, then saw how much work needed to be done all over town and asked for others to join us,” said Doporto.

Volunteers spread out along Boyd Drive on Saturday July 11th to work on cleaning it up. The event was sponsored by Constructors Inc, Yum Yum Yogurt, The City of Carlsbad, Keep Carlsbad Beautiful, and Keep New Mexico True. There were 26 individuals who braved the desert heat Saturday morning to help keep Carlsbad clean and beautiful. A total of 0.7 tons (1,340 lbs) was collected in a space of approximately two miles, and a span of about 2 ½ hours.

“I think Saturday's clean-up showed that despite the happenings in our world and the issues we hear about daily, folks continue to want to live in a clean and beautiful community. We want our fellow residents and visitors here to be responsible with their waste disposal. Picking up litter, with proper PPE in place, of course, is a great chance to get out of the house, (while social distancing, even) and improve the quality of the environment that we live in. It's a win-win for everyone involved,” Garwood shared.

Volunteer Brigido Garcia shared his reasons for helping out “I went out because I’m able too. I believe every little bit makes a difference and when we are conscious of that difference it changes the way we think about giving back which is our stewardship of what we have,” he said.

In June, on Callaway Drive, approximately 25 bags of trash were picked up and disposed of.

RiverBlitz occurred on March 7th with over 400 volunteers working all along the river, collecting an incredible amount of trash. 5.9 tons to be precise. The litter problem continues to be an issue, so much so that RiverBlitz 2020 Round 2 will occur on Saturday October 10th, 2020. Pick-up of provided supplies (bags, gloves, and water) will start at 7 am at the Riverwalk Rec Center (400 Riverwalk Dr.). Round 2 is sponsored by the City of Carlsbad, Keep Carlsbad Beautiful, Eddy County, and Campfire Industries.

On Saturday October 3rd, a new clean-up will occur in response to recent trash left at Sitting Bull Falls. Queen up the Guads 2020 is a volunteer community clean-up at Sitting Bull Falls hosted to inspire and educate our community and visitors to take action on improving and beautifying our public lands. Clean up areas include the Queen highway, CR 409, and CR 67. This clean-up is sponsored by Keep Carlsbad Beautiful, USDA Forest Service, Campfire Industries, Eddy County, and the City of Carlsbad.

There will be more opportunities coming up this year to help keep Carlsbad clean and beautiful. You can find out more by following Keep Carlsbad Beautiful on Facebook or by calling Mary Garwood at 575.302.7665.