SCRANTON, Pa. — Trash and overgrown areas were no match for volunteers in Scranton, doing their part on Earth Day.
Scranton firefighters were among those cleaning up part of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail in Scranton. Others were putting together new tables and benches for people to take in the beauty of the trail.
"We're here to serve the community. And we wanted to come out, and this was one of those things that we utilize this trail a lot, and I realize that it was kind of dirty, and I know that the LHVA can use all the help they can get. So we figured we come out and give them a hand," said Scranton firefighter Brian Murray.
The weather might not be ideal for Earth day cleanups, but it's still important to get out and get these projects done before the weather warms up.
"All that litter that you could have picked up, it's going to be like 10 times more difficult to get it, so we're just very excited to be able to have these groups out now," said Owen Worozbyt, LHVA trail and environmental project manager.
Environmentally friendly groups had tables set up on Courthouse Square downtown, offering tips and information about ways to help protect our planet for future generations.
"What we wanted to do was just provide them a platform to do some outreach, see if maybe they can get some volunteers, and to kind of show everybody just because we are in a pandemic. These organizations never stopped working," said Nicole Shapiro, manager of the Lackawanna County office of environmental sustainability.
Trees were donated and planted on the Linden Street side of the courthouse, and the county commissioners broke ground as part of a COVID memorial plaza that will be completed in the fall.
"It's a significant thing, and we lost a lot of lives and that we need to pay tribute to them. I think it's very important for us to not forget," said Lackawanna County Commissioner Debi Domenick.
Several other Earth Day events are happening in Lackawanna County through the weekend if you want to do your part in protecting the planet.