No 'snow day' for first annual Cloquet cleanup

Despite cold (for April) temperatures and a layer of snow that covered the ground, close to 50 people turned out Saturday for an Earth Day cleanup organized by the Boldt Company along with the city of Cloquet.

"It's still easy to find the big stuff," said Camille Wilton, who was picking up trash with her daughter, Lynnea, age 8, along the south side of the St. Louis River on Dunlap Island. "We've found towels, plastic, lots of liquor bottles."

Volunteers were divided into five groups of roughly 10 people each and sent to five different "zones" along the river and the campground armed with buckets and metal "pickers" and large garbage bags. They worked for close to two hours, before reconvening at the Dunlap Island shelter for Covid-safe bagged or boxed lunches.

Boldt's Jonathan Ballmer spearheaded the event. He said it was the perfect opportunity because Boldt wants to be engaged with the community and help make people aware that the natural world is a limited resource. "We want to raise awareness of the choices we make every day," he said. "Plus, knowing that a community cleanup didn't exist before, we decided to partner with the city and make this the first annual. It's a pretty good turnout for the first time."

Boldt also donated 30 buckets and pickers to the city, which can be borrowed by other groups who want to use them in the future, Ballmer said.