We are excitedly waiting for the water levels to drop so we can GLO! Last year we were only able to conduct a single Get the Lead Out (GLO) program due to unusually high water most of the summer. This year, with the health and safety of our volunteers in mind, we are still planning to conduct a number of GLO events in small groups. Please stay tuned to our social media platforms to see when programs will be held.
Get the Lead Out (GLO) is similar to our Clean Your Streams (CYS) 365 program; you walk along waterways looking for marine debris but what you are putting in your trash bag is different. This marine debris is more specific and people doing CYS 365 often miss it due to its inconspicuous nature. You are searching for fishing line!
When anglers snag their lines on tree branches or logs, they sometimes simply cut the line and leave the tangled section behind. This incredibly thin but strong, clear or white line can entangle (harm or kill) fish, birds, and other wildlife, and the associated hook, lure, and/or lead sinker can cause further damage to the animal.
At PCS, we go a step further than simply throwing it away after our volunteers clean it out of our streams. Once collected, PCS volunteers clean and untangle the fishing line, which is then sent to our partners at Berkley Conservation Institute who recycle and repurpose the fishing line into spawning habitats for fish! Through this careful work, the line that could have harmed fish actually ends up helping them!