Get your trash bags ready, Weston, or at least pick up the big yellows from Town Hall–it’s Annual Town Clean-Up time! Theoretically set for the week of April 23-30, some groups and individuals including schools and Friends of the Weston Reservoir have jumped the gun and lapped us all. My thoughts on that? Grab a bag and head out the door in your own neighborhood this week, and then join an “official” event next week.

In my hometown of New Canaan, the event was called Clean Your Mile and it’s been going now for decades. Weston’s version is now in its fifth year, thanks in large part to Katharina Wilkins of the Sustainable Weston Action Group who will cajole, compete and convince you to take to the streets, trails and public spaces of town to pick up the trash.

The goal of the Town Cleanup is to unite friends and neighbors around a common cause – reducing the amount of litter in our environment. The metric for success is the pictures and locations of collected trash shared on the Annual Cleanup Facebook page, and a sense of well-being and accomplishment for doing something positive for Weston and the environment. If you don’t have Facebook (good on you), you can share your successes by email to westontowncleanup@gmail.com.

New to this year’s fun is the “What is That?” contest which was particularly fun at the school campuses (campi?) when Katharina found a valuable archeological object–an Elvis Presley cassette tape–that no child could identify. As always the Bud Light vs Coors Light can contest (north vs south) is in full effect with a recent twist…literally…since Twisted Tea seems to be the trash of choice on Concord Road and Burchard Park.

For more information about the Cleanup, please check the Sustainable Weston Action Group (SWAG) website. All you really need to do is grab a bag, some rubber gloves, a high-visibility top if you are on the roadsides, and get outside. To join a scheduled cleanup, please see events listed on the Facebook page–so far clean-ups are scheduled at Highland Street turnout (WFTA/Conservation), Brook Road (neighbors) and yesterday had a cleanup at Cat Rock park.

We are fortunate to live in a semi-rural town with miles of hiking trails and scenic roads. We are grateful to those who help keep our trails and roadsides clean. Go ‘cats!