GATLINBURG, Tenn. – Great Smoky Mountains National Park invites volunteers to join park rangers and community members for the sixth annual Fontana Lakeshore cleanup.
Volunteers are needed Friday, Nov. 3 through Sunday, Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gear, boats, and lunch will be provided. Volunteers can meet at one of two locations for the cleanup:
- Fontana Village Marina, 40 Fontana Dam Rd., Fontana Dam, NC 28733
- Fontana Lake Estates, Fontana Lake Estates Marina Rd., Bryson City, NC 28713
Led by Brandon Jones, Harbor Master at the Fontana Village Marina, the event is one of the most extensive cleanups on national park lands. Jones won the 2023 Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award as the Public Lands Conservationist of the Year for his efforts.
Volunteers, park rangers, and community members have come together for the last five years to remove more than 200,000 pounds of garbage from the lake and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shoreline. Fontana Lake is about 11,700 acres with a shoreline of about 240 miles.
Participants must register for the event by contacting Brandon Jones, Fontana Village Harbor Master (828) 498-2017; brandon.jones@FontanaVillage.com.
- National Park Service release
