On my first cleanup at Oatlands Mill Rd, I recycled 630 pounds of trash. The next day I returned to finish Cleaning The Stream below the bridge and later did the Riverside cleanup with the Transplant brothers. Those projects helped me move closer to the goal of recycling 1 ton, but there was still a long way to go. The help of my neighbors that day meant a lot, keeping me motivated toward my goal.

I was again met with rain on our scheduled cleanup day, testing the limits of our willpower even more. Nevertheless, we didn’t let the rain stop us, and we started cleaning up Watson Road. I enjoyed the experience. It was a chance to get to know my neighbors and make our town look better. Loudoun County has many beautiful hills and streams, but it’s often marred by trash and debris. After a hard day’s work, we gazed at the landscape, exhausted but proud of our accomplishment.

Our team collected 340 pounds of trash that day—including eight bags of bottles and cans, a full-size mattress, shoes and socks, and a piece of rusted metal. With this action, BYBM’s total now stands at 1480 pounds of trash collected. We’re almost at our goal of cleaning up one ton!

A big thanks to Amir Morrad, Dean Morad, and Nathan Hartman, the three gentlemen who gave up their Saturday to help BYBM with the cleanup!