What do jumpsuit clad convicts and stewards of the San Juans have in common?

Picking up trash on the side of the road, that’s what.

In tune with annual spring-cleaning and Earth Day (April 22), islanders across the archipelago will take to the streets and beaches in the 2015 Great Islands Clean Up, beginning at 9 a.m. on April 18. For the first time, Orcas and Lopez Islands join in the efforts of island-wide litter pickup.

During last year’s clean up, 275 San Juan Island residents collected over 3,800 pounds of litter from 45 miles of roads and beaches. The year before, it was 3,600 pounds.  The numbers point to an obvious need for able-bodied islanders to band together and help pick up the trash that’s accumulated between then and now.

“Sadly, our refuse continues to end up as littler,” GIC organizer Lori Stokes said. “Thoughtless tossing of bottles, cans, food wrappers, or cigarette butts, etcetera, all contribute to the need to make litter pick-up an ongoing effort.”

This year’s GIC is sponsored by multiple organizations including San Juan County, San Juan Sanitation, the Chamber of Commerce and Friends of the San Juans. Free pick-up bags will be available outside the Chamber  of Commerce. The office also has a limited amount of trash-grabbers and safety vests for volunteers to borrow.

You can join a group that’s already been formed, or organize one of your own. To clean a road, contact David Dehlendorf at 378-1082, or dauffa@gmail.com. For beach cleaning, contact Jana Marks at 378-2319, or jana@sanjuans.org.

For cleanup information on Orcas, contact Kira Bradshaw at kirabradshaw72@gmail.com. The Lopez organizer is Nikyta Palmisani, nikytap@lopezsolidwaste.org.