Great Lakes, Great Responsibility, led by founder Meag Schwartz, held a flash trash cleanup downtown on Sunday. Although it was cold out, she said they needed to pick up trash before the warmer temperatures melt the snow and send cigarette butts and trash into the storm drains and directly into the Thunder Bay River and Lake Huron. Her goal for the day was to pick up 1,000 pieces of trash, to add to the running tally she is keeping toward the Great Lakes 1 Million Challenge, with a goal of picking up 1 million pieces of trash in the Great Lakes Basin. About 14,000 pieces of trash have been picked up in our area since she started Great Lakes, Great Responsibility in November, she said.

“Great Lakes, Great Responsibility is a nonprofit all about keeping the Great Lakes clean,” she said on Sunday. “I noticed a bunch of litter downtown on Friday, and I just got inspired to organize this” event. “This is preventing trash from entering our waterways.”

At left, Schwartz tells the group the plan as Lucas Moquin looks on.

Below, Mike Martin picks up some “yucky trash” as daughters Summer, 7, and Ava, 5, watch.

Mike Martin picks up some “yucky trash” as daughters Summer, 7, and Ava, 5, watch. “We want to clean up trash to help the earth,” Summer said.

“We want to clean up trash to help the earth,” Summer said.