Submitted by Sarah Paduano, Eversource
(September 24, 2024) —- From tires and empty bottles to doors and refrigerators, the banks of the Connecticut River can become littered with trash, 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 for the 28th Annual Source to Sea Cleanup. For the past eight years, the energy company has partnered with the Connecticut River Conservancy as a lead sponsor of the initiative, where volunteers target trash-ridden sites along the 410-mile watershed region and remove as much waste as they can. This year, Eversource employees in Connecticut will be volunteering in Manchester for a cleanup event at Union Pond Park.
“Sustainability is at the core of our business and vision for the future, and the Source to Sea Cleanup is just one of the many ways our employees demonstrate their dedication to that goal as environmental stewards across the communities we live in and serve,” said President of the Eversource Foundation and Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Equity Theresa Hopkins-Staten. “The Connecticut River is one of New England’s natural treasures, and we are proud to help protect and preserve this regional landmark. Every year, our employees are excited to roll up their sleeves, grab their gloves and trash bags, and unite with other volunteers to help make this important waterway a cleaner, safer place for all to enjoy.”
“We have worked with Eversource for many years to identify areas in need of cleanup, orient their employees to their sites and to the larger work of the Connecticut River Conservancy, and roll up our sleeves together to pick up trash,” said Connecticut River Conservancy Events Manager and Source to Sea Cleanup Coordinator Stacey Lennard. “We are grateful for the support of our sponsors, especially those who also form employee cleanup groups – it’s a double impact for cleaner, healthier rivers.”
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 2017, employees have 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 refrigerators – even a snowmobile – which helps make the water cleaner, riverbanks safer, and protects wildlife.
