Field trips showcasing efforts to reduce litter in the Washington area will highlight the 8th annual Potomac Watershed Trash Summit on Oct. 18 in Washington.
The trash summit, to be held at the University of the District of Columbia’s David A. Clarke School of Law, also will feature an appearance by Jim Toomey, creator of the nationally syndicated cartoon “Sherman’s Lagoon.” Toomey is an advocate for taking steps to end marine litter.
The annual trash summit is organized by the Alice Ferguson Foundation and brings together citizens, public officials and youth leaders to collaborate on ways of eliminating litter from the Potomac River watershed.
Field trips scheduled as part of the summit are:
■ Communities in Action. A tour of on-the-ground efforts in Prince George’s County, Md., to implement the foundation’s Regional Litter Prevention Campaign, which relies on public education and awareness to change littering behavior. The tour will include a “trash free community” and litter hotspots.
■ Trapping and Tracking Trash. With a primary focus on the Anacostia River, the field trip will explore efforts to capture trash in the water and monitor what is left behind.
■ Composting: Big and Small. The tour will feature the University of Maryland’s multi-faceted composting program and the city of College Park’s yard waste composting program.
The field trips are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with participants asked to bring their own trash-free lunch. Early registration is encouraged, as space on the field trips is limited. Afternoon sessions will be held from 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the law school.
A complete agenda of the summit is available at http://fergusonfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Summit-2013-Brief-Agenda-FINAL-8-6-13.pdf.
The registration fee for the summit is $25. To register, go to the summit web site at http://fergusonfoundation.org/trash-free-potomac-watershed-initiative/potomac-watershed-trash-summit/.