Volunteers Wanted: Help Us Clean Up the Stub Canal

Phase 1 of the Stub Canal Greenway is ours to do: a neighbor-led cleanup of the canal bank. Here's what we found, how the Adopt-A-Spot program works, and how to sign up.

The first step toward a Stub Canal Greenway doesn't need a City budget, just neighbors with gloves. Phase 1 of PPNA's proposal is a volunteer cleanup of the canal bank along Pineapple Park.

What's out there

Walk the bank and you'll see why this comes first. Plastic and foam collect in the slow water near the stormwater outfalls, together with a thick mat of floating duckweed, which usually means extra nutrients are washing off lawns and streets. Neighbors have also spotted tires and other large items in the canal bed.

How the cleanup will work

• Adopt-A-Spot. PPNA is working with the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County's Adopt-A-Spot program. SWA provides tools and supplies to groups that commit to at least two cleanup or beautification projects a year.
• Coordinated with the agencies. Before each cleanup, we'll give notice to the City and to the South Florida Water Management District, which manages the canal. Large items such as tires, appliances and anything that looks hazardous will be left for specialized crews. Volunteers stay on the bank, not in the water. (Phase 1 is described in Section 9 of the draft proposal (PDF))
• Before and after. We'll photograph the corridor before, during and after each cleanup and track how much we remove. That record shows the City that Pineapple Park is ready to be a long-term partner for the greenway.

Sign up

We're building the volunteer list now and will announce the first date soon. Email info@pineapplepark.us with "Stub Canal" in the subject line, or sign up as a Safety & Improvements volunteer by clicking the yellow "Volunteer" button at the top of the page. Families, scout troops and local businesses are all welcome.

See something dumped along the canal before then? Report it on the City's WPB Key app or at (561) 822-2222, and send the tracking number to info@pineapplepark.us.