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People are encouraged to get dirty while cleaning up the county Thursday.

The Tyger-Enoree River Alliance will be doing one of their many litter sweep ups around the Sumter National Forest.

“Part of our (TERA) mission is litter pick up,” according to Jon Durham who is in charge of the TERA group which is all about conservation of aquatic life and bringing awareness to the community about the health of the rivers.

If nobody shows up, Durham will still be out and about picking up litter.

However, he hopes that people will want to come out and clean up the county. While the event is all day, he says that people may come out whenever they can make it and he will meet people anywhere around the forest whether it’s in Newberry or other surrounding counties.

People may want to bring are gloves, but trash bags will be provided.

Durham says that he picked Thursday because hunting season opens up soon after and wanted to set the momentum to keeping the areas well-kept all year long.

There are plenty of hunters in TERA, according to Durham and just want to have a presence out there so that everyone, including hunters, will see the people cleaning the areas and be reminded to clean up after themselves in the camping and campground areas.

Durham says it’s important to keep the community aware and not just on (a national day like) Earth day.

Throughout the year, TERA people get out there and do plenty of litter pick ups as well as bring awareness for the protection of the natural areas and wildlife.

In the spring, the members do a river sweep around the Tyger and Enoree rivers and they have a program that focuses on plastic litter from shock shells.

If anyone or any group wants to join Durham for the litter sweep pick up on Thursday, they may email him at riverkeeper@jondurham.net or call him at 803-271-6701.

As he has said, people may come out for just an hour or whenever they have time to help clean up the Enoree district in and around the Sumter National Forest.