2021 NICER EARTH DAY COMMUNITY CLEAN UP

NICER EARTH DAY COMMUNITY CLEAN UP

APRIL 28, 2021

Iron County residents found a way to make a difference in celebration of Earth Day 2021 by participating in the NICER Earth Day Community Clean Up, an event planned in partnership with Extension Iron County.

Last year's NICER Earth Week Community Clean Up was planned at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for families to get outside while sheltering in place. Approximately 5 families participated. This year's event well exceeded that, with over 40 families and groups signing on, with an estimated 107 volunteers participating in this two hour event!

Volunteers were asked to sign up and include which area of the community they planned on cleaning up, with an added incentive of participants being entered in to win a $50 gift card, generously donated by Stoffel's Country Store and a NICER t-shirt.

While some chose to clean up sections in their immediate neighborhood, larger groups such as the Iron County 4-H Green Team, Hurley Lions Club, Pine Lake Association and a group of family and friends tackled litter hot spots in the community, including County C in Cary/Oma, US Highway 2 in Hurley, County G in Oma and Saxon Road in Montreal. An estimated 48 miles of county roads, highways, and parks were cleaned up during this event (estimated miles based off locations listed in sign up sheet).

Participants were invited to a volunteer appreciation luncheon hosted at Gile Park pavilion, with 50 people attending.

Thank you to our event sponsors, Pat's Foods, Cary Mine Market, Stoffel's Country Store, Neil & Brooke Gilbertson and Iron County Highway Department. We also want to thank our local municipalities, who worked with us to offer multiple garbage drop off locations or curb side pick up. Your support is appreciated.

It was great to see so many people take pride in the community!

Iron County 4-H Green Team members cleaned up a 3 mile section of County C
in Cary and Oma, WI.


Photo credit: Kari Klemme

A group of families and friends cleaned up Saxon Road, in Montreal, WI.


Photo credit: Steve Fiene

We even had a few furry friends participate in the clean up!


Photo credit: Stacey Wiercinski

Participants enjoyed a volunteer appreciation lunch at the Gile Park pavilion after the event!


Photo credit: Steve Fiene

HOW IT WORKS

  1. SIGN UP FOR A SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU WANT TO CLEAN UP!

    • You can sign up HERE (event sign up is closed)!

    • If you are unable to edit the signup sheet, please email us your name, the location you are planning to clean up and if you are planning to attend the appreciation lunch, at benicer@nicer715.com.

  2. PARTICIPANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE YOUR OWN SUPPLIES.

    • For anyone not wanting to use their own supplies, we will have a limited number of clean up supplies such as garbage bags and safety vests available, by request, while quantities last. Items can be picked up from the Gile Park Pavilion starting at 9:30 am.

  3. BE SAFE!

    • We ask that participants exercise caution at all times, watch for traffic and be aware!

    • Do not pick up medical waste (needles or gloves), chemicals or any other suspicious materials. If you find something questionable, we ask that you report it to local law enforcement .

    • We ask that participants follow recommended COVID-19 safety guidelines. NICER and Extension Iron County will not be liable for any accidents or injuries that occur while participating in this event.

  4. GARBAGE DISPOSAL - Here are the options for disposing the garbage you collect:

    • Bring collected waste items home with you to dispose of.

    • Other locations for waste drop off - see city and towns listed below.

    • If you sign up to clean up a county road or highway, PLEASE collect your garbage bags into a pile for the Iron County Highway Department to pick up.

    • If you have any recyclables, drop off at the Iron County Recycling between 8:00 am - 2:00 pm the day of the clean up. Their address is: 606 3rd Avenue N, Hurley WI 54534.

  5. AN APPRECIATION LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED TO VOLUNTEERS! As a thank you to anyone who participates, NICER will be providing a FREE lunch at the Gile Park Pavilion from 12:00 - 1:00 pm.

TAKE PHOTOS AND SHARE THEM ON FACEBOOK USING THE FOLLOWING HASHTAG #NICERCOMMUNITYCLEANUP

ALL COMMUNITIES ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE!

Braeden and Kasey Klemme, students at Hurley School District and members of the Iron County 4-H Green Team participated in last year's NICER Earth Week Clean Up with their family!

It' s great to see these young leaders volunteering in our community!

SUGGESTED AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT NEED SOME CLEAN UP AND WHERE TO DISPOSE COLLECTED GARBAGE

THANK YOU MUNICIPALITIES FOR SUPPORTING THIS EVENT!!! Feel free to sign up for any section of the community even if it's just the street in front of your home or business, the ideas listed below are just suggestions.

HURLEY

  • Riccelli Park

  • Cary Park

  • Hurley Iron Belle Trailhead

  • Division Street to County D

  • Hwy 51 near River by DQ to Farmer's Market

  • Range View Drive

Garbage Drop off Location - Dumpster located in front of Hurley City Hall

CARY

  • Hwy 77

  • County C

  • County C Boat Landing

  • Knight Road (dirt dikes)

  • Island Lake Road

Garbage Drop off Location - Drop off with recycling attendant at Oma Town Hall by 12:15 pm.


MONTREAL

  • Area around park on Ohio Avenue

  • Park on Hwy 77/Elm Street

  • Hwy 77 Montreal to Pence

  • River area by City Hall

  • Saxon Road

  • Ontario Street/Queebec Avenue

Garbage Drop off Location - Dumpster by the City of Montreal shop


GILE

  • Gile Park and Boat Landing

  • Area around Gile Baseball Field

  • Downtown Gile

  • McCrossen Road

  • Division Street

  • Hwy 77

Garbage Drop off Location - Dumpster by the City of Montreal shop


PENCE

  • Hwy 77

  • Pence Park

  • Whiteside Street from Pence to Montreal

  • Spring Camp Road

  • Plummer Mine Area

Garbage Drop off Location: Collected trash can be dropped off on Hwy 77 across from Dew Drop Inn, which the Town of Pence will be picking up and disposing of.


SAXON

  • Saxon Harbor

  • Downtown Saxon

  • US Hwy 2

  • Hwy 122

  • County B

Garbage Drop off Location: If you are picking up streets in the Town of Saxon, you will be responsible for the disposal of any garbage collected.


GURNEY

  • Gurney Park

  • Hwy 169

  • US Hwy 2

  • Potato River & Falls Area

Garbage Drop off Location: If you are picking up streets in the Town of Gurney, you will be responsible for the disposal of any garbage collected.


KIMBALL

  • Kimball Park & Falls

  • Center Drive

  • County D

  • US Hwy 2

  • Park Road

  • Interstate Falls

Garbage Drop off Location: If you are picking up streets in the Town of Kimball, you can use the dumpster by the Kimball Fire Department. If the dumpster is full, please participants will be responsible for disposal of any collected garbage.


IRON BELT

  • Hwy 77

  • Downtown Iron Belt

  • County Trunk E (Hwy 77 to White Camp Report

  • Weber Lake

Garbage Drop off Location: If you are picking up streets in the Town of Iron Belt, you will be responsible for the disposal of any garbage collected.

OMA

  • US Hwy 51

  • County C east of Hwy 51

  • Oma Town Hall

  • Schomberg Park

  • Pine Lake Area

Garbage Drop off Location: If you are cleaning up on Saturday, April 24, please drop off by 12:00 with recycling attendant at Oma Town Hall or the town dumpster on County G. If you are picking up during the rescheduled date (Sunday, April 25), please bring to the next regularly scheduled recycling day or drop off anytime at the town dumpster on Cty G.

UPSON

  • Downtown Upson

  • Hwy 77

  • Upson Falls Park

  • Hoyt Road

Garbage Drop off Location: Dumpster Upson Town Garage

Do you know of another section of town that needs some clean up TLC?

Please visit the sign up form above to sign up for these or any other section of our community!