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This October, we highlight Kent Fothergill and Kelly Tindale. Kent and Kelly started volunteering with the Department of Parks and Recreation over three years ago after relocating to the area. They were looking for outdoor activities during the pandemic and stumbled upon Bladensburg Waterfront Park and its kayak rentals. On Kent and Kelly's first ride out on the Anacostia River, they were astounded by the large amounts of trash and debris found. Kent stated he "couldn't believe that people just disregarded objects such as bottles, tires, furniture, and small appliances into the river."
This ride sparked Kent and Kelly's drive to make a difference! From here they started to go out weekly and pick up whatever they could! Three years later they have recorded 500+ volunteer hours with the Department and have pulled over 500 tires from the Anacostia waters. "I never thought I'd be cleaning the river but here I am," said Kelly.
While they have a passion to volunteer and clean the river, Kent stated he would love to educate the public more about the river. Kent states "Anyone can come out and pick up trash. However I want the community to have the education on the Anacostia River to understand why this is so important, so that it is as meaningful to them as it is to me."
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