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Sound Rivers staff teamed up with Cummins Rocky Mount Engine Plant and City of Rocky Mount employees for cleanup along the Tar River.

Together they picked up 900 pounds of garbage — trash that would have ended up in the river.

“We have local government, a business and a nonprofit working together on issues the public cares about, like cleaning up the river,” said Sound Rivers Executive Director Heather Deck. “It’s a great way to build connection: to start small and look for ways to improve communities’ health, including environmental health.”

Originally scheduled as an on-the-water cleanup, a forecast of lots of rain expected the Thursday night prior to the Friday morning cleanup, turned the event in to a land cleanup instead.

This is the fourth Rocky Mount cleanup Sound Rivers has co-hosted with Cummins, as part of the company’s Water Works program.

Heather said the 10 Cummins employees, including Sound Rivers board member Miriam Espinoza and husband Victor, four City of Rocky Mount employees from Parks and Rec, stormwater department and their Keep American Beautiful coordinator and five Sound Rivers staff split up into two groups for the cleanup.

“We had one group at Stith-Talbert Park and the other at Charter Oaks Park on Neville Lane, and cleaned up along the Tar River from different access points,” said Sound Rivers Executive Director Heather Deck. “We cleaned up as much as we could at those access points and along the buffer on the river.”

Cummins and Sound Rivers aren’t giving up on the original cleanup plan: a cleanup by kayak has been rescheduled for June 20.

“It’s wonderful to see the commitment Cummins has shown for the Nash County region and their openness and excitement to get Cummins employees involved in community-needed projects,” Heather said.

In addition to Heather, from Sound Rivers, Program Assistant Sierra Stickney Digan, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman and partner Andrew, and water-quality intern Jonah Dickerson took part in the cleanup.

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