What a change a year can make. Last year, volunteers with Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway-Roanoke Valley Chapter uncovered 1,189 whipped cream canisters and other trash and recyclables strewn from J.P. Fishburn to the top of Roanoke Mountain. The volunteers were amazed to learn the canisters were linked to a form of substance abuse, called “huffing.”
At the time, this situation was under investigation by the National Park Service-Blue Ridge Parkway and City of Roanoke Police Department. What followed the FBRP cleanup was press coverage and raised community concern.
This year, the chapter returned to start the Love Your Parkway cleanup season with 11 volunteers on a chilly Feb. 14. They concentrated their efforts on J.P. Fishburn, where they found 43 whipped cream cans.
“That’s a big difference from what we uncovered last year, when no fewer than 250 whipped cream canisters were found during a single cleanup,” said Heidi Ketler, chapter chair. “The canisters we found last Saturday were sun bleached and rusty, not shiny new like many we found last year. I think we simply missed that overgrown, steep section last year.
“It’s a good indication that the individuals huffing the nitrous oxide inside the whipped cream canisters have at least stopped throwing them along this section leading to the Blue Ridge Parkway,” Ketler said. “We also removed far less trash and recyclables, which also is a good sign. Stay tuned!”
In all, last Saturday’s cleanup netted about 245 pounds of recyclables – mostly glass beer and liquor bottles – and trash, including the whipped cream canisters and one tire, according to Ketler.
Last year, the Friends BRP volunteers, removed a total of 2,200 pounds of trash and 1,377 pounds of recyclables during their series of three Love Your Parkway cleanups.
The next Love Your Parkway cleanup is set for Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., when the focus will be Mill Mountain Parkway. Volunteers of all skill levels are invited to participate.
For more information, send an e-mail to [email protected]. RSVP is appreciated.