ROCKLAND – Two tires, the umbrella frame for a patio table, a wood pallet, and an advertising banner.

A group of Earth Day volunteers bent, lifted, and sighed at the amount of debris accumulated in two hours along a portion of the Harbor Trail in Rockland, Saturday morning. They sighed again in regards to the trash they had to leave behind.

In Earth Day clean-ups of the past, volunteers of the Harbor Trail Committee and Georges’ River Land Trust celebrated the limited number of refuse bags they filled. This year, however, has been different.

“We’ve had some exponentially high tides,” Louise MacLellan-Ruf, chair of the Rockland Harbor Trail, said. “They have brought up more stuff than usual [this year].”

In fact, because teams carried collection data sheets in order to tally each item they recovered, one family counted more than 350 instances that they opened their bag.

Before the event, organizers sought out the areas with the most debris and plastics along the trail in the South End of Rockland.

“That is off of the Boardwalk,” said MacLellan-Ruf. “That is the filthiest place right now.”

On the other hand, Snow Marine Park’s biggest problem was cigarette butts, according to her.

“Surprisingly, it is incredibly clean down there, including being free of dog poop, which is where a lot of people run their dogs,” she said. “It is clear that the community is being very conscientious down at Snow Marine Park.”

MacLellan-Ruf also credited the community with its involvement keeping Sandy Beach clean, though some trash and cigarette butts were still noticeable.

Saturday’s group of approximately 30 volunteers included individuals from Hope, Warren, St. George, and Owls Head. Several of them expressed the notion that access to prime waterfront property should not be limited to wealthy conglomerates and individuals. The public should have some space to enjoy, as well.

However, according to one volunteer, in order to preserve that benefit, the community must work to maintain it.

Therefore, they gathered within the doors of Friends of Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Their bellies were fortified with donated Dunkin Donuts, Rock City Coffee, and homemade muffins courtesy of a Harbor Trail member. Upon return, they were refortified with burgers courtesy of Wiggins Meat Market.

The City of Rockland supplied disposable gloves, along with the promise to haul away the accumulated trash.

Individuals interested in joining the 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Sunday, April 22, clean-up event will meet at The Feed Store, 155 New County Road (Route 1) Thomaston. According the promotion, “We will gather to hear from various speakers about the hidden dangers of microplastics, and then head out to clean up along Route 1.”

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com