As you know, the Town of Bluffton canceled the 20th annual May River Cleanup that was scheduled for late April. Despite the cancellation, the Town of Bluffton will continue its Earth Day celebration by publicizing and promoting a Virtual Neighborhood Cleanup.
Going for a walk in your neighborhood and picking up litter with your family is a perfect opportunity to get out of the house and teach your children the lifelong message to never litter.
The Town is encouraging participants to photograph their cleanups and post pictures on the Town’s Facebook and Instagram by using the hashtag #LoveBlufftonSC. Pictures can also be emailed directly to Lindsay Housaman at lhousaman@townofbluffton.com.
Sharing your pictures and results online will continue to make Bluffton feel more connected and empowered to make a difference. This has become a popular posting, so I encourage all of you to continue to add photos on social media so we can have a year-long clean up in our town.
Litter education can also be a great way to incorporate hands-on math lessons. For example, give your children a math equation (for example, 2 x 12), have them solve it, and then have them collect that many items during the cleanup. Students can also compare the types of litter they found and tally which type you most frequently found in your neighborhood.
The Town of Bluffton has also partnered with all jurisdictions across Beaufort County and Clemson Extension’s Carolina Clear to establish an environmental educational project called Lowcountry Stormwater Partners.
This project is now providing stormwater education countywide. Its mission is to educate and motivate residents to protect and maintain our local waterways with environmentally mindful activities and projects. For more information, visit the Lowcountry Stormwater Partners website at clemson.edu/extension/carolinaclear and click on “Regional Consortiums.” You can also visit the Lowcountry Stormwater Partners Facebook page.
Capital Improvement projects continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some updates on various projects throughout the town.
Wright Family Park:
• Substantial completion of the restroom/warming kitchen building
• Completion to roadway and parking improvements on Calhoun Street between Wright Family Park and Church of the Cross
• Sidewalk construction is underway
• Grading of the central lawn area and eastern buffer has begun
Buckwalter Park/ Veterans Memorial:
• Inclusive playground and safety fencing has been completed
• Park and Veterans Memorial are substantially complete
Lisa Sulka is the mayor of the Town of Bluffton. lsulka@townofbluffton.com
