Write a commentVolunteers are encouraged to register today, as groups across New York State prepare for the 17th Canal Clean Sweep, to be held April 22-24, 2022.
Canal Clean Sweep is an annual clean-up event held across the New York State Canal System and Canalway Trail. More than 100 Clean Sweep events are expected along the more than 400-mile-long Canalway Trail system and the 524-mile-long Canal system, with opportunities for thousands of residents to give back to their local communities and to show pride in one of New York’s most iconic cultural and recreational resources.
Clean Sweep is scheduled to coincide with the annual Earth Day celebrations on Saturday, April 23. Canal Clean Sweep will be one of a number of events held around the state to recognize the ongoing commitment to improving the health of our natural environment, in addition to being part of a nationwide celebration to encourage people to get outside and enjoy our exceptional trails and trail systems.
The 2022 Canal Clean Sweep will take place following a full year of trail use since the completion and opening of the Empire State Trail, a 750-mile multi-use path spanning the state from Manhattan north to the Adirondacks and west along the historic Erie Canal corridor to Buffalo. Over the last few years, the Canalway Trail system has seen unprecedented use, reflecting significant investments made as part of the completion of the Empire State Trail, and increased interest and participation in outdoor recreational activities due to COVID-19. Through the efforts of volunteers across the state during Canal Clean Sweep 2022, communities will ensure the Canalway Trail system will remain a pristine recreational resource for locals and visitors alike.
Canal Clean Sweep 2022 is organized by the non-profit Parks & Trails New York, in partnership with the New York State Canal Corporation. To learn more about Canal Clean Sweep, and to view a map of scheduled events, visit: ptny.org/cleansweep.
“There is no better way to celebrate Earth Day than by taking care of one of the State’s most remarkable landmarks, not only preparing it for recreational use for the upcoming warm months, but also making the water and trailways friendlier for the hundreds of species of wildlife that inhabit the Canal system,” said Brian U. Stratton, Canal Corporation director. “We look forward to seeing volunteers from across New York join us for this year’s Clean Sweep, and appreciate each and every helping hand that takes part in this fun and important event.”
“Canal Clean Sweep is a great opportunity for thousands of volunteers across the state to give back to the trail that brings them joy and respite throughout the year” said Robin Dropkin, Executive Director of Parks & Trails New York. “Year after year, the Canal communities continue to amaze and inspire us with their support and participation - a testament to how much the Canal and Canalway Trail mean to them.”
# # # About Parks & Trails New York
Parks & Trails New York is the state’s leading advocate for parks and trails. Since 1998, PTNY has been working in partnership with the New York State Canal Corporation to help canal communities plan, develop and promote the Canalway Trail. PTNY organizes Cycle the Erie Canal, an eight-day bicycle tour along the historic Erie Canal that attracts more than 650 participants each year. In 2021, the organization published an updated version of the popular guidebook, Cycling the Erie Canal: A Guide to 360 miles of Adventure and History along the Erie Canalway Trail. Learn more at www.ptny.org.
# # # About the New York State Canal System
The New York State Canal Corporation runs the New York State Canal System, which includes the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca canals. Spanning 524 miles, the waterway links the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. In 2017, the Canal Corporation celebrated the 200th anniversary of the groundbreaking for the Erie Canal, which occurred in the city of Rome on July 4, 1817. The Canal System includes the Canalway Trail, a network of approximately 400 miles of multi-use trails across upstate New York. The Canalway Trail follows the towpaths of both active and historic sections of the New York State Canal System as well as adjacent abandoned rail corridors. Together, the canals and trail create a world-class recreationway that is a vibrant, scenic, and unique New York resource. To learn more about the New York State Canal and Canalway Trail System or to obtain a free map, please call 1-800-4CANAL4 or visit the Canal Corporation’s website at www.canals.ny.gov.
