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Canal Clean Sweep

Celebrate Earth Day with a purpose! Sponsored by the NYS Canal Corporation, Canal Clean Sweep is an annual statewide event that occurs along New York’s historic canalways and greenways on Earth Day weekend. This spring, from April 18-20, 2025, thousands of volunteers will clean up more more than a hundred locations along historic canals in New York State. 

Over its 20-year legacy, Canal Clean Sweep has mobilized thousands of volunteers from scout troops and small business to elected officials and rotaries. In 2024, 193 Clean Sweep events occurred across the corridor, with participation from close to 4,000 people. We estimate that most groups filled at least 4 bags during their clean-up, meaning roughly 772 bags of trash were filled across the three-day event for a total of 42,460 gallons of trash removed! 42,460 gallons of trash would be roughly equivalent to 53 tons… To help visualize the impact, the amount of trash collected would be equivalent to the weight of 5 to 6 adult African elephants! That doesn’t even account for items too big to fit in a trash bag like tires, bikes, and vacuum cleaners.

Parks & Trails New York joined New York State Parks and the State Department of Environmental Conservation to encourage visitors at state parks and other state-owned and managed lands to enjoy their outdoor adventure while protecting these precious natural resources. The Love Our New York Lands campaign recognizes the record numbers of New Yorkers and visitors from around the globe who have discovered that the Empire State's scenic beauty and exceptional recreation make for the perfect destination.

In 2024, Canal Clean Sweep joined the suite of Love our New York Lands events alongside PTNY's flagship event, I Love My Park Day.

 2025 Canal Clean Sweep Event Finder Map

TO VIEW THE CANAL CLEAN SWEEP MAP IN YOUR BROWSER CLICK HERE


How it Works

Email [email protected] if you need assistance with registration, or if you have any additional questions.

Volunteer at an event* 

If you do not want to host your own event, you can participate in an existing event! Select from nearly 100, public events (GREEN PIN) displayed on the map above. Gather your friends, family, and colleagues to volunteer at the many cleanup locations across the state. Volunteering strengthens communities by bringing people together to address shared challenges, create positive change, and support important causes. 

  • Select a site near you: Using the interactive map, find a scheduled clean-up. The GREEN PINS are open to the public. All private events are by invite only. 
  • Register to volunteer: Browse around the locations you’d like to volunteer in and select the site you would like to participate at. Make sure to view the dates and times, as some clean ups will not occur the weekend of April 18-20, 2025.
  • Check your confirmation email to review details
  • Reach out to your host with any questions
  • Clean-up Preparation: On the day of the event, arrive at the place indicated in your confirmation email. Check your email prior to the event as hosts might send out additional information. Canal Clean Sweep t-shirts and trash bags will be provided by Parks & Trails New York. We recommend bringing your own gloves and water, and wearing protective clothing. 

*If there isn't an event scheduled near you, consider hosting your own.

Host an event

If there isn't a clean-up scheduled near you, there's still time to organize your own cleanup in your community. Hosts are responsible for choosing a clean-up location, deciding event logistics, as well as providing guidance to participating volunteers on the day of the clean-up.

  • USE THIS MAP to host your own clean-up location along a designated canal, indicated on the map by the red line
    • Use "Ctrl +" to zoom in
    • When selecting a location, don’t pick areas where someone else has placed a pin.
    • Clean-ups events should occur along identified canals/greenways
  • Left click on your clean-up location and select "register this site"

  • Submit a registration form by filling in all the required information. A host will need to decide if the event will be private or open to the public

    • While private events will still be shown on the interactive map, the event description will not include a link for volunteers to sign up.
    • Private events are usually planned by a designated group (such as a church group, packs/troops/scouts, businesses, etc.) and participation is by invitation only.
    • Members of the general public will be able to register to participate in all public events.
    • If you are hosting a public event, your email will be publicly displayed on the volunteer registration map (as the point of contact for event-specific questions), and shared with participating volunteers. If you do not wish for your email to be shared on the volunteer registration map please email [email protected].
  • Hosts will receive a confirmation email with event details following registration submission; after volunteer registration opens on March 10, 2025 hosts will be provided with a unique hyperlink with access to volunteer information.
    • Please read through the confirmation email to make sure everything is accurate; if details about the event change, please email [email protected]
  • T-shirts will be shipped directly to the host several days prior to the scheduled event. While PTNY cannot guarantee that a host will receive the number of shirts, or sizes requested we will do our best to accommodate. A host is responsible for handing out t-shirts to volunteers. 
  • This year PTNY is hoping that every host will be able to help us track and report on key data points that can help inform decision-making, innovation, and problem-solving. Reach out to [email protected] if you would like to know more about our data collection initiative. 

Why your participation matters

From “Clinton’s Ditch” to the “eighth wonder of the world,” the Erie Canal transformed New York, and captured the nation’s attention as an engineering marvel and economic powerhouse. This year PTNY and partners will be celebrating the “bicentennial period” of the Erie Canal (2017-2025), from the official groundbreaking in Rome in 1817 and the fabled “Wedding of the Waters” in New York Harbor in 1825.

Parks & Trails New York welcomes you to celebrate this significant milestone by helping us reach our goal of hosting 200 events across the canal system to honor the achievements and progress we have made over 200 years.

Sponsors

Are you interested in sponsoring Canal Clean Sweep in 2025?

Please contact Will Cote, PTNY's Senior Director of Public Lands, [email protected]

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF 2025 SPONSORS HERE.

Parks & Trails New York (“PTNY”) is a registered 501c3 organization and not affiliated with its I Love My Park Day partners, the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. PTNY exercises sole discretion in selecting and approving all Sponsors for this event, and 100% of all Sponsor proceeds are donated to PTNY. Participation as a Sponsor does not constitute endorsement of any entity.