Volunteers invited to Earth Day cleanup celebration in North Idaho’s Sandpoint

Residents are invited to an Earth Day celebration event in Sandpoint to help clean up City Beach, lower Sand Creek and the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail.

The Idaho Conservation League is working with the city of Sandpoint to clear local shorelines of garbage and debris from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, according to a press release from the conservation league. The free event is open to all ages.

“We’re thrilled to continue our collaboration with the city for this event,” said Karissa Huntsman, the Idaho Conservation League’s community engagement specialist, in the release. “We had a great turnout last year, and collected a wide variety of garbage, from bottle caps to horseshoes and even car parts. Without the time and energy given by our community members, many of these items would have been lost in the lake as the water levels rose.”

Volunteers can begin checking in at 9:30 a.m. at the City Beach Pavilion (58 Bridge St. in Sandpoint), where they’ll receive gloves, garbage bags and cleanup instructions, according to the release. The cleanup will start at 10 a.m. after an introduction from the conservation league about its work to protect North Idaho’s waters.

There will be warm beverages courtesy of Evans Brothers Coffee, as well as snacks provided by the conservation league. The area may be muddy, so waterproof boots or shoes are recommended.