Clean Your Streams Day
Every September since 1997, volunteers have undertaken a Northwest Ohio environmental tradition of removing trash from their local streams, rivers, and ditches on Clean Your Streams Day. Partners for Clean Streams and collaborating organizations will host the program on September 28th this year, with seven kickoffs located around the greater-Toledo area. To date, more than 385,000 pounds of trash have been removed from area waterways by over 15,000 volunteers.
Days Until CYS 29!!
How To Volunteer
Sign up for CYS Day
Choose the corresponding form below:
On the morning of September 28, volunteers will begin at their registered kickoff. At each kickoff, volunteers will be provided supplies and safety training before spreading out to their assigned waterway clean-up sites. Following the clean-up, all volunteers are invited to an appreciation picnic, where they’ll enjoy free food, door prizes, and some preliminary results from the friendly-yet-competitive Challenge Awards. For more information regarding our Youth, Collegiate, and Corporate/Business competitions please view the Volunteer Resources section below.
Kickoff sites include:
- City of Oregon Municipal Building, Oregon
- Glass City Metropark, Toledo
- Monroe Street United Methodist Church, Toledo
- Secor Metropark, Sylvania Township
- Side Cut Metropark, Maumee
- University of Toledo Law School, Toledo
- Woodlands Park, Perrysburg
Or choose to join the weeklong clean-on-your-own remote kickoff, taking place between September 21st and September 28th! Remote kickoff participants can arrange to borrow clean-up supplies and are encouraged to ask Partners for Clean Streams about suggested waterway sites.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Grant Funder
Grant Funder
Community Partner
Community Partner
Community Partner
CYS Affiliate
CYS Underwriter
CYS Underwriter
CYS Underwriter
CYS Underwriter
CYS Underwriter
CYS Underwriter
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Contributor
CYS Supporters
Oak Openings Region Conservancy
The Mannik & Smith Group Inc.
Ameriprise Financial
Thanks to Our In-Kind Contributors for the Volunteer Appreciation Picnic!
Appliance Center
Amie’s Pizza Factory
Bennett Enterprises (Big Boy & Ralphie’s Corp.)
BGSU Athletics
Big Boy
Biggby Coffee
Buffalo Wild Wings
Firehouse Subs
First Watch – Secor
Five Guys and Fries
Home Depot – Secor
Imagination Station
Inside the Five Brewing Co.
Mama Mary’s Pizza
Marco’s Pizza
Mike’s Pizza & More – Holland
National Museum of the Great Lakes
Nature’s Corner
Outback Steakhouse
Ralphie’s
Shawn’s Irish Tavern
Skyzone
Toledo Sportway of Toledo
Texas Roadhouse
Tony Packo’s – Secor
UT Football
Ventura’s Mexican Restaurant
Vito’s Pizza
Program Impact in 2024
CYS 28
649
Volunteers
10,000+
Pounds of marine debris removed
49
Waterway sites cleaned
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is it?
Clean Your Streams Day will be held September 28th this year. The date will be announced later this year and registration will open in August.
How do I register?
Once registration opens, you can register online and get access to our printed liability waiver that we require from participants.
What should I do if I want to register more than one group?
If you want to register more than one group (for example, your child’s Scout troop as well as a group of your coworkers), you must contact us directly. Our registration system can only handle one email associated with each group leader. PCS staff will help you create a custom registration. Call us at 419-874-0727 or email [email protected].
What is the remote kickoff option?
Starting in 2020, some volunteers wanted to clean-up and record data on their own, outside of the larger kickoffs on Clean Your Streams Day. We have continued to offer our remote kickoff option since. To participate in a remote clean-up, register for Clean Your Streams and select the remote kickoff option. After registering for this kickoff, you’ll receive detailed instructions in your confirmation email, but the short version is: pick your own waterway site to clean, and complete a clean-up and data recording at your convenience in the week leading up to CYS Day.
What is a site captain and what do they do?
Site captains are responsible for the coordination of a group or team at a designated site, including assignment of team jobs (i.e. recorder, collector), having first aid materials (provided), knowing emergency numbers (provided), gives/takes supplies, and turning in extra supplies, completed data cards, and completed Site Captain Reports at the Supply Station at the Appreciation Picnic. Each group of over 10 participants is required to have 1 Site Captain for every 10 volunteers. Training for Site Captains are required and are usually scheduled for the week before CYS Day.
How does Clean Swell work for collecting marine debris data?
We’re glad you asked! Check out our Clean Swell App How-To and FAQ.
Learn More
…about what marine debris is and how you can prevent it.
…about the local waterways that this program benefits.
…about simple lifestyle changes that add up to help our waterways.