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Most trash-trap cleanouts are straightforward: don some waders, grab a bag and a picker and set about plucking plastic bottles, Styrofoam and other litter delivered into the trap by the downstream current.

Others are a bit more complicated.

That’s how Program Director Clay Barber ended up in Greens Mill Run last week, armed with a chainsaw.

“It’s got to be done sometimes,” Clay laughed. “Greens Mill Run is a very flashy creek, meaning it fills up quick and water is moving fast, with a lot of force. At some point during one of those really heavy rainfalls, a tree got caught up in the current and collided with our trash trap.”

Clay was alerted to the trapped tree by members of the Cypress Group of the Sierra Club, who adopted the trash trap for the month of August and had to work around its presence during a recent cleanout. He said he didn’t think the tree fell in the vicinity of the trash trap, but was carried there from upstream and got tangled in the lines anchoring the trap to the banks. 

“Removing it took a little bit of problem solving, but not a lot of heavy lifting. I had to make sure I was watching the tree while I was cutting it,” Clay said.

Fortunately, the trap had little damage, but its anchor lines will need adjustment.

There were plenty of onlookers witnessing the wrestling of the trash-trapped tree, Clay said.

“There were a lot of people out looking for fossils in the creek. I felt the need to go over and tell them what I was about to do because I was about to turn their peaceful day looking for fossils into a chainsaw day,” Clay laughed. “But they were cool with it and ended up asking a bunch of questions about our work.”

He did say he is noticing a lot of organic debris that gets caught in the trap could be avoided.

“After many cleanups in that creek, we’ve seen a lot of woody debris and grass clippings,” he said. “I think it comes from development and erosion and landscaping practices, so it’s important to dispose of yard waste properly.”

Sound Rivers’ launched its Litter-Free Rivers program in early 2024, just a year after the first trash trap was installed on Jack’s Creek in Washington. Since, traps have been installed on Duffyfield Canal in New Bern, Little Rock Creek in Raleigh, Adkin Branch in Kinston, Greens Mill Run in Greenville, East Tarboro Canal in Tarboro, a tributary of Jack’s Creek in Washington, Marsh Creek in Raleigh and Little Creek in Clayton.

Through Litter-Free Rivers, Sound Rivers and an army of volunteers removed 3 tons of trash from waterways across the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico in 2024. More than a ton has been removed in 2025.

Interested in helping with a trash trap cleanout? We’d love your help! See when the next ones are scheduled here!

Your group (civic, friend, family, school, church, scout, etc.) can volunteer to Adopt A Trash Trap for a month of monitoring and cleanouts. Visit our Adopt A Trash Trap page to find out how.

Like Sound Rivers’ Litter-Free Rivers program? Donate today to keep your waterways Litter-Free!