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Volunteer Spotlight: Larry Hattenburg

Litter-Free Rivers, Neuse River Watershed, Sound Rivers, Volunteer, Volunteers

Posted on January 8th, 2026

Larry Hattenburg submitted this photo of organic matter breaking down near the Clayton trash trap, just to make sure it wasn't something to be concerned about.

Over the years, Sound Rivers has known many wonderful, dedicated volunteers willing to give their time and energy in service to clean water. Without these clean-water warriors, our jobs would be much more difficult.

Every now and then, a volunteer goes above and beyond what we expect. This winter, we’re recognizing Larry Hattenburg, who we first met in June of 2025.

“Larry joined our first Clayton trash trap cleanout in June, and it was super-great to meet him because he really excited about the trash trap,” said Volunteer Coordinator Emily Fritz.

One of Larry’s trash trap hauls over the winter months.

It’s what he’s done since that first meeting that’s made him stand out.

“Larry has been our Clayton trash trap superhero during the colder months,” Emily said. “He’s been monitoring and cleaning out the trap since October. Sound Rivers is a small organization and to have volunteers like Larry willing to get down in the creeks and help us reach our Litter-Free Rivers goals is so important because we can’t be everywhere at once.

Thank you, Larry, for being such an awesome Clean Water Warrior!

Even a little goes a long way — thank you, Larry!

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