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Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 20, 2026
Contact: Kim Wells, Public Relations and Marketing Specialist, 804-217-1077, kim.wells@dcr.virginia.gov

Join Clean the Bay Day efforts at Virginia State Parks
Lend a hand and improve the health of our watershed on May 2

(Editors: Follow this link to download an image. Photo caption: Caledon Clean the Bay Day)

(Editors: Follow this link to download an image. Photo caption: Kayak cleanup at Widewater State Park)

(Editors: Follow this link to download an image. Photo caption: York River Clean the Bay Day)

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia State Parks are proud to participate in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Clean the Bay Day, a statewide effort to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Traditionally, this event takes place on the first Saturday in June. However, Chesapeake Bay Foundation announced this year that it will be on the first Saturday in May to allow for more participants. More families have the opportunity to participate together since school is still in session and there is hope that the weather will be cooler

Visitors are encouraged to join park staff and volunteers in cleaning up litter, debris, and other pollution from rivers, streams and shorelines that feed into the Bay. Their efforts help improve water quality, support a healthier ecosystem as well as create safer habitats for wildlife.

"As the largest estuary in the United States and the third largest in the world, the Chesapeake Bay stands as an incredible natural and vital resource,” said Acting Assistant Park Director Dave Collett. “The Bay urgently needs your help, and volunteering at one of these Virginia State Parks is a meaningful way to make an immediate positive impact.”

Consider visiting your local state park to participate in one of the many cleanup activities:

Kayak Cleanup at Widewater
Hike & Help the Riverine Forest at Powhatan
Cedar Creek Watershed Cleanup at Natural Bridge
Litter Patrol at Twin Lakes
Coastal Cleanup at Kiptopeke
River Bank Cleanup at James River
Bluebell Trail and Shoreline Clean Up at Shenandoah River
Chesapeake Bay Beach & Narrows Beach Volunteer Cleanup at First Landing

For the full list of service projects, visit the Virginia State Parks Clean the Bay Day web page.

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About Virginia State Parks

Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. For more information about Virginia State Parks’ activities and amenities or to reserve one of the more than 1,800 campsites or 300 climate-controlled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 800-933-PARK or visit www.virginiastateparks.gov.

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