Spring Highway Cleanup Helps Moorhead Stay Green

Moorhead city officials are making an effort to clean up the city.

They are recruiting locals to help pick up the trash lining I-94.

Members of the Moorhead Public Works department are making it easier than ever for people to slap on a pair of gloves and help remove hundreds of bags of garbage from the side of a busy highway.

They hope today is just the beginning.

The bags, gloves, vests, grabbers and even transportation are provided.

The city of Moorhead is just looking for people to use them.

“We have about 30 volunteers who have signed up, and we’re gonna clean as much litter as we can from the highway,” says Moorhead Public Works Director Steve Moore.

The mission: clean up eastbound I–94 from the Red River to 20th street.

Last year, only eight people showed up to help.

The city changed tactics for 2016.

Moore explains, “Moved it from May to Earth Week, which is this week.”

“It puts a real fresh perspective on spring,” says Moorhead City Council Member Nancy Otto, who volunteered.

The highway cleanup has been a tradition, but was stopped a few years ago.

The city brought it back last year, and hopes to keep it growing.

“We want you,” Otto says. “We need your help.”

It may not be the most fun thing picking up trash on the side of the road with cars whizzing by going 60 miles per hour, but people in Moorhead say it’s their duty to make the city a little cleaner for everyone.

Moorhead resident Lynne Flanders explains, “It’s part of giving back to the community and I decided I want to do it because there’s a lot of trash out there.”

Last year, volunteers picked up 75 bags of trash.

This year, the goal is a bit higher.

“With the volunteers we have, about 200 bags,” hopes Moore.

“When you look at what’s ahead and you look at the cleanup that’s behind, it’s a difference, and it’s a good feeling to make that positive difference,” adds Otto.

Everybody here knows this isn’t the final answer.

The city hopes to have another cleanup day this fall.

It’s a chance to continue the work started today.

Flanders adds, “Well, if this wind picks up, I don’t know how long it’ll stay clean, but I am so looking forward to it because there is really a lot of trash moving around.”

The highway cleanup isn’t the only way people in Moorhead can help keep their city green.

The city also offers adopt-a-street, adopt-a-park and adopt-a-river programs during the summer.

And on Friday, they are giving away free recycling bins at the Public Works Department.