2026 Riverkeeper River Sweep!
Join Friends of Athens and Riverkeeper on May 2, 2026 for a Hudson River cleanup by kayak at the Northwest End of Middle Ground Flats for the 15th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep. This year’s event is sponsored by Friends of Athens and the Hudson Valley Paddling Association.
Please note, all kayakers must bring their own kayaks, paddles, and PFDs, and must be EXPERIENCED PADDLERS.
Volunteers will meet at Athens Boat Launch, 153 North Washington Ave, Athens, NY. Please park at the far end or around the periphery of the parking lot to leave room for boaters with trailers.
We ask all Sweep volunteers to also bring a hat, sunscreen, a full reusable water bottle, work gloves and hand sanitizer. Participants need sturdy shoes as there is a lot of broken glass and sharp things at the cleanup site.
This site is not suitable for elementary-aged children.
Registration for the 2026 Riverkeeper Sweep at Middleground Flats, scheduled for May 2, 2026 is available HERE. This event will start a 9am.
Questions? Contact Riverkeeper at sweep@riverkeeper.org or Friends of Athens at info@friendsofathensny.org.
*IMPORTANT! To ensure the safety of volunteers, Sweep Site Leaders, park staff, and our communities, we ask that volunteers adhere to the following guidelines:
- Volunteers are required to pre-register for Sweep, and bring their own, gloves, hand sanitizer, and water.
- Volunteers should not participate if they have ANY signs of illness or if they have potentially been exposed to COVID-19 within the previous two weeks.
Thank you to Wolfe Dumpsters for their generous donation of a dumpster for our 2025 Riverkeeper Sweep!
