446 volunteers including Secretary of Natural Resources Doug Domenech and U.S. Representative Scott Rigell, collected 873 pounds of trash at First Landing State Park during Clean the Bay Day!

Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Doug Domenech and U.S. Representative Scott Rigell chat before the Clean the Bay Day activities at First Landing State Park

The first Saturday in June always marks the annual Clean the Bay Day sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.  First Landing State Park is always a popular spot for volunteers participating in Clean the Bay Day activities. This year, the park hosted two notable volunteers, U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell and Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources, Doug Domenech. Secretary Domenech took a moment to address the crowd to promote Chesapeake Bay stewardship initiatives and thank them for their volunteer service.

Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources, Doug Domenech, welcomes Clean the Bay Day volunteers to First Landing State Park.

With gloves on and trash bags in hand, Rep. Rigell and Secretary Domenech joined the other 444 volunteers on the beach and trails, helping collect a total of 873 pounds of trash—including old fishing gear, a garden hose, old aluminum can pull tops, washed up lumber, cigarette butts, and plastic bottles. 

U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell combs the beach for trash at First Landing State Park's Clean the Bay Day activities.

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is sponsoring additional volunteer clean-up activities during the Stewardship Virginia initiative from September 1, 2012 to October 31, 2012.  Click here for a list of  Virginia State Parks  on-site stewardship events or you can register your own Stewardship Virginia event in your community by clicking here. 

Long-time Chesapeake Bay Foundation volunteer and Clean the Bay Day Zone Captain, Rubin Kravitz weighed in Secretary Doug Domenech's trash bag at 10 pounds.

Don't forget to mark ahead your calendar for the 24th Clean the Bay Day on Saturday, June 1, 2013!