Friends of the Muscatatuck River Society is sponsoring the 20th annual spring river cleanup April 24.

Due to the group’s stance on social distancing protocols caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, members will be conducting the sweep in a slightly different format.

Registration will be a drive-thru at 8 a.m. at the Vernon Commons shelter house. Society personnel will be sporting masks and issuing bags, buckets and tools. Each site leader will be issued a site leader form to document the workers’ names and shirt sizes. A society worker will document the group ID and coordinate and suggest a cleaning site.

It’s suggested that groups consist of immediate family/friends, cleaning sites are in familiar areas to the crew and FMRS and social distance-conscious protocols are maintained. Site leaders will be individually responsible for their parties and participation. 

At noon, participants will reconvene at the shopping center parking lot next to McDonald’s/Country Chevrolet to collect reports and equipment.

Jennings County Highway Department trucks will be there to collect trash or groups may take refuse straight to the highway garage/recycle center. The highway department will pick up any trash collected on-site if needed if the pickup location is coordinated with a society worker.

Society workers wearing masks and gloves will issue prepackaged promotional items (T-shirts and wristbands) in paper bags for contact-free distribution.

As in the fall, lunch will not be provided.

Information: Troy Jackson at 812-592-0481, Tom Moore at 812-592-0319 or find the group on Facebook