It’s that time of year! The ReNew the New Committee has opened registration for the 2026 Fall into the New river cleanup.
Date: Sat., August 29, 2026
Register & complete volunteer waiver: https://renewthenew.org/
Meetup location: Eggleston Park
More details on image and on linked webpage.
ReNew The New’s Ramps ‘N’ Roads, the start of spring river cleanup, is scheduled for Saturday, April 5th, 2025. The long-standing community-based cleanup effort will look slightly different this year as this cleanup morning will focus on areas along the New River impacted by Helene and recent flooding events. Registered volunteers for the cleanup will gather at 8:30 AM at Eastern Elementary Middle School, located at 6899 Virginia Avenue, Pembroke, VA 24136. All interested volunteers are encouraged to sign up online at www.ReNewtheNew.com.
The morning of the 5th after arrival and groups are formed with captains, volunteers will drive their own vehicles or convoy to specified locations. Project Coordinator, Charlie Mullins states that there will be “15 sites throughout the county to include four islands” that are the attention of the cleanup. Supplies and gloves will be provided, and those wishing to volunteer should wear appropriate clothing, including closed toe shoes. The organizing committee is still seeking volunteers with their own Jon boats who would be willing to assist with the on-water transportation of the Virginia Tech Corp of Cadets as they support this cleanup with debris entanglements accessible only via the New River. The Virginia Tech Corp will be supporting the effort with 500 individuals.
All debris will be left bankside where Giles County PSA, in partnership with ReNew the New, will collect and dispose of it.
If interested in volunteering with your boat, please reach out to Project Coordinator Charlie Mullins at cmullins@gilescounty.org.
Lunch is provided for all volunteers around noon at their worksite as a thank you for the donated time and efforts to keep Giles County and the New River beautiful. ReNew the New held its first clean up in 2001 and since then has removed thousands of pounds of trash and tires from the New, hosted educational programming to support stewardship of this beautiful waterway, and expanded through partnerships to reach more volunteers and miles of river cleaned up in a calendar year. The New River is the oldest river in North America and flows south to north- a unique attribute that echoes our community’s commitment to this asset we have, that connects us all. Giles County boasts 37 miles of the New River and the New River Water Trail® that offers residents and visitors the opportunity to have water-based adventures, relaxing floats, and adventuresome fishing trips! You are invited to explore the New River Water Trail on the website, http://www.newriverwatertrail.com.
Visit the ReNew the New website at: http://www.renewthenew.org/ and find them on Facebook and Instagram at @ReNewTheNew. Learn more about ReNew by watching our YouTube video.
ReNew The New’s FALL INTO THE NEW, end-of-summer river cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, September 14th, 2024. Volunteers and participants for the Giles based cleanup will gather by 8:30 AM at New River’s Edge in Pembroke. All interested volunteers and supporters are encouraged to sign up online.
After participants are registered, and groups are formed with captains, buses will leave for the clean-up sites on the river where participants will be provided with canoes, trash bags and gloves. Volunteers can bring their own water vessels (kayaks, canoes, or rafts) and will need to provide their own shuttle this year. Those who are bringing their own boats need to call ahead for instructions on drop off and pick up areas. There will be an on-land option as well. Boaters will begin their floats with their captains after the safety meeting. Wear sunblock, river shoes, and be ready to work and get wet!
Lunch and a t-shirt are provided to all volunteers around noon as a thank you for the donated time and efforts to keep Giles County and the New River beautiful. The lunch and t-shirt distribution will happen back at New River’s Edge. Giles County boasts 37 miles of the New River and the New River Water Trail™ that offers residents and visitors the opportunity to have exciting water-based adventures, relaxing floats, and adventuresome fishing trips! You are invited to explore the New River Water Trail on the website, http://www.newriverwatertrail.com.
The continued development of partnerships allows participants along the New River to support this effort. The success of ReNew the New over the years is shown by the numbers of volunteers and the expansion throughout the New River Valley. ReNew the New is sponsored by Appalachian Electric Power (AEP), Celanese, New River’s Edge, Tangent Outfitters, and Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing.
Visit the ReNew the New website at: http://www.renewthenew.org/ and find them on Facebook and Instagram at @ReNewTheNew. Learn more about ReNew by watching our YouTube video.
For sixteen years ReNew The New and Giles County PSA have hosted “Fall Into The New” at the end of every summer. Thirty-seven miles of the New River run through Giles and every year one third, of those miles, was designated for cleanup. ReNew borrowed canoes from local outfitters, the Boy Scouts, and a number of recreation programs and transported them to central locations; Giles County school buses carried volunteers to and from assigned sites. Depending upon the year, there were anywhere from two hundred to almost five hundred volunteers, who cleaned and cleared the river of debris and, afterwards, were treated, by Giles County, to lunch and a specially designed tee-shirt. Those sixteen years transformed the New River and ReNew’s stewardships will continue RENEWING the New River.
A COVID aware “Fall Into The New “ was planned for Saturday, August 29th and all the pieces were in place. Then two hurricanes began crossing the Gulf of Mexico heading to the Eastern United States. Marco lessened and Laura intensified. Before putting volunteers out on a stormy river and paying for 150 box lunches, a decision had to be made: forge on with ReNew’s well-planned event, or cancel. County Administration stayed closely in touch with the National Weather Service and AEP. At noon, on August 26th, for the first time in its sixteen year history, “Fall Into The New” was canceled.
But ReNew already had a complementary cleanup planned.
It was dubbed it the “virtual” cleanup because rather than having the large crowds expected during a normal “Fall Into The New”, dedicated volunteers can continue to clean the river on their own, and by documenting their efforts through photography and social media, virtually become the large crowd. In support, the County Administration has placed mailboxes containing orange trash bags at all of the official boat ramps in the county. Volunteers are encouraged to use those bags to pick up trash in and along the river and then deposit the full bags at any official boat ramp. The county PSA will remove those bags on a regular basis.
By taking a picture of yourself with the full trash bag, you become eligible for a FREE 2020 ReNew the New River Tee-shirt. By tagging your photo with #ReNewtheNew and posting it on social media, you will become part of the virtual crowd and help spread awareness of New River and good river stewardship. Due to the fact that “Fall Into the New” was cancelled, the virtual cleanup will continue until the end of the year, or until the tee-shirts run out. The tee-shirts are limited to one per volunteer.
The beautifully designed 2020 ReNew the New River tee-shirts are available at Pembroke Stop N Save adjacent to Route 460, just west of Pembroke across from the Cascades Industrial Park. Show the trash bag selfie to the staff at Pembroke Stop N Save to receive your richly earned tee-shirt. They have already given out a number of tee-shirts, with photos posted on their Face Book page. Please see www.renewthenew.org. for more details.
