DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — Pick up Pennsylvania, the campaign to clean up litter across the commonwealth, is back on.
On Wednesday, leaders from PennDOT and the Department of Environmental Protection shared how important it is to keep Pennsylvania clean while simultaneously picking up litter in Penbrook community park.
Officials say litter clean-ups benefit streams, rivers, and lakes in the commonwealth, and in turn foster more healthy wildlife.
"From an environmental standpoint, the litter that you'll pick up today means litter that won't find its way into a waterway, won't find its way into our rivers and streams, won't find its way into wildlife impacts across the borough across the county," said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
State officials stress volunteers are the heart of the Adopt-A-Highway program, an initiative they say saves millions of taxpayer dollars each year.
Individuals, families, neighbors, students, civic organizations and local governments are all invited to participate. Cleanups in any location are eligible, for example, on stream banks and shorelines, along roadsides, and in neighborhoods and parks.
Officials will be hosting a series of clean-up events all across the state, for more information on those or how to plan a clean-up event, click here.