Residents, Volunteers Work Together to Clean Briar Ditch

Matresses, tires and plastic were just some of thr items volunteers found Saturday morning cleaning out Briar Ditch behind .

Nearly 75 volunteers including residents of Riverdale Heights and Riverdale Hills, students from Wirt Middle and , their parents and others from the Anacostia Watershed Society, and , cleaned up the tributary behind the school — as a part of an effort put together by a community association.

Marty Newman, president of the RRC Community Association, said the Department of Environmental Resources provided a dumpster, recycling bins and cleanup equipment for volunteers.

Newman aid although volunteers did find some odd items, there was less trash than the previous cleanup in 2009.

She said they hope to continue the cleanup effort every two years.