Submitted by Jamie Ratliff, Eversource
(September 25, 2025) — From tires and empty bottles to car fenders, rusted bicycles and even refrigerators, the banks of the Connecticut River can become littered with trash and debris, creating harmful effects for the local environment and the health of the waterway. As part of its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, Eversource employees across Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire will join their neighbors this week for the 29th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup.
For the past nine years, the energy company has partnered with the Connecticut River Conservancy as a lead sponsor of the initiative, where volunteers target and clean up trash-ridden sites along the 410-mile watershed region. This year, Eversource employees will be volunteering at a cleanup event on September 26, 2025 at Union Pond Park in Manchester.
“The Connecticut River is one of New England’s most cherished natural treasures, and our partnership with the Connecticut River Conservancy on the Source to Sea Cleanup demonstrates our commitment to being responsible environmental stewards and safeguarding this regional landmark for generations to come,” said Eversource Foundation President and Vice President of Community Partnership and Engagement Theresa Hopkins-Staten. “Every year, our employees are excited to roll up their sleeves, grab their gloves and trash bags, and work with other volunteers to stop pollution of this vital waterway right at the source. It’s just one of the many ways our employees show their dedication to building stronger, more sustainable communities across the states we serve, and I’m proud of how they contribute to this important cause.”
“The Source to Sea Cleanup is Connecticut River Conservancy’s largest watershed-wide volunteer event of the year. We have over 100 groups fanning out throughout our four-state watershed, totaling thousands of volunteers, who commit to a day of hard work with friends, family and colleagues, to clean up our waterways, parks, and city streets,” said Connecticut River Conservancy Events Manager and Source to Sea Cleanup Coordinator Stacey Lennard. “When you pick up trash, you are diverting that waste from going down storm drains and into the river system, which eventually flows into the ocean. You help keep our riverbanks green and our waterways clean!”
Along with thousands of community members across New England, Eversource’s team of volunteers has helped to make a positive impact reducing pollution along the Connecticut River through the annual Source to Sea cleanup efforts. Since the energy company began sponsoring the event in 2017, employees have helped to removed more than 500 bags of trash, picked up nearly 10,000 beverage containers, and cleaned up more than 20 miles along the river across the company’s three-state service territory. Eversource volunteers have cleared everything from clothing to televisions and car parts – even a snowmobile – which helps make the water cleaner, riverbanks safer, and protects wildlife.
