Nearly a hundred bags of trash pulled from Milwaukee waterways

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Around a hundred bags of trash are now out of waterways on the northwest side of Milwaukee thanks to volunteers Saturday morning, on Aug. 27.

Near 35th and Congress, over 90 volunteers spent their Saturday for a good cause picking up little pieces of plastic, crushed cans, other types of trash to help keep the waterways in Milwaukee clean.

"Plastic bags, candy bar wrappers, cigarillo wrappers, pretty much all the little small plastic pieces they don't really think much of," said Samuel Bell, a volunteer.

He was one of the many volunteers of all ages out Saturday at Hopkins Hallow along Lincoln Creek finding everything from fishing poles to tires.

"When the people toss stuff into the river. It ends up in our drinking water," said Nearby Nature Milwaukee Project Coordinator David Thomas.

Thomas says this event is in conjunction with North Shore Bank and the Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, and when things are clean, people are more likely to come out to events like next Tuesday's farmer's market.

"We're trying to revitalize these areas, make them more accessible. Partner with people that want to have more bike trails while walking trails and give people better opportunities," said Thomas. "To connect with nature."

Officials with Milwaukee Riverkeeper say work like this is important for keeping waterways in Milwaukee safer and having better water quality for humans and wildlife.

Samuel Bell says for him it's an easy way to feel good about helping out.

"It's not hard work," said Samuel.

His wife, Danielle Bell, made the decision to come out even though she's pregnant because she says it's something they've done together for years that's very important to them.

"We're expecting our first child at the end of September and just trying to make the world a little bit better for when they join us and to instill the same values in them when they're able to be out and about helping us do it too," said Danielle.

Nearby Nature Milwaukee officials say they try and do this about three times a year.

If you're interested in volunteering in the future, click here for more information.