Plateau Pickup produces results

A near-record number of community volunteers turned out for the 2023 Plateau Pickup on Saturday and the result was a massive amount of litter being pulled from area roadsides.

At the end of the day, a commercial dumpster stationed at the parking area of Lake Sequoyah on Franklin Road was packed to the point the lid wouldn’t close. More full trash bags lined area roads awaiting pickup by the Town of Highlands Sanitation Department and US Forest Service personnel.

“This is one of the events that I really look forward to every single year, because it warms my heart to see so many people come together that care about Highlands and want to keep our town looking its best,” Highlands Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kaye McHan said. “What we are doing today really does make a difference. Not just aesthetically, but in terms of helping our overall environment. We all love our clean air, our clean water, and all the natural amenities that Highlands offers.”

Volunteers gathered at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park on Saturday morning for a light breakfast and to get their litter cleanup equipment. Neon vests, gloves, trash bags and pickers were provided, and each volunteer received a complimentary t-shirt for their efforts.

Mayor Patrick Taylor provided several safety reminders and took time to recognize some of the groups working behind the scenes during the pickup.

“We need to give a shoutout to the Highlands Police Department and Macon County Sheriff’s Office for helping with traffic control on some of the busier roads,” Taylor said. “And we also would be remiss if we didn’t thank our town sanitation crews for working this afternoon to get all the trash bags collected and disposed of properly.”

Taylor added that the annual pickup has become a bright spot for Highlands in terms of community involvement.

“Kaye mentioned how heartwarming this event is, and she’s right, to see so many people give up half a day on a Saturday to pick up trash that they didn’t create really says something about our town,” Taylor said. “We are all fortunate to call Highlands home.”

The Plateau Pickup was one of several events held across Western North Carolina on Saturday to promote environmental protection and outreach. The Mountaintop Rotary held its “Scaly Mountain Cleanup,” Western Carolina University hosted its “Tuck River Cleanup,” The Friends of Panthertown held a trail workday/cleanup and the Franklin High School track and field team gathered litter along on the Macon County Greenway.