April 17-19, 2026
cANAL cLEAN sWEEP
Celebrate Earth Day by joining PTNY and the NYS Canal Corporation, and thousands of volunteers to clean up trails, greenways, and parks across New York’s historic canal system.
April 17-19, 2026
Celebrate Earth Day by joining PTNY and the NYS Canal Corporation, and thousands of volunteers to clean up trails, greenways, and parks across New York’s historic canal system.
CANAL CLEAN SWEEP
By volunteering, you help remove litter, improve public spaces, and prepare the Canalway Trail for the busy spring and summer seasons. Canal Clean Sweep is a hands-on opportunity to practice environmental stewardship, strengthen local communities, and contribute to the long-term health and beauty of one of our state’s most popular recreational resources.
GET INVOLVED
As a host, you’ll pick a location to clean up, determine the date and time, submit a registration form, communicate with volunteers, arrive early to check participants in, distribute supplies (provided by PTNY), take pictures, and share event details. A host helps an event run smoothly and creates a welcoming, friendly atmosphere where community members can connect and clean up litter.
Volunteers across New York came together to clean over 125 miles of trail and shoreline, removing litter and debris to help keep the Canalway Trail vibrant and accessible for all.
A total of 1,038 dedicated volunteers participated in last year’s Canal Clean Sweep, joining forces to protect and beautify the trails, parks, and waterways.
We removed 48,132 pounds of trash from the Canalway Trail last year alone! That’s the size of an adult humpback whale or a fully loaded semi truck.