Six months after the September floods, a group of volunteers is returning nature back to what it looked like before.
This weekend a crew will help clean debris from the Loyalsock Creek in Lycoming County.
Farmer Dick Snyder said there is all kinds of trash and debris littering his along the Loyalsock Creek north of Montoursville.
"Anybody along the creek had things set up is all down here on our farm," Snyder said. Like Snyder's farm, properties up and down the creek were damaged and the beloved creek was left in shambles. "It's collected along the creek banks here and in our fields also. We have them back in shape. We're going to be in good shape for sweet corn business this year."
The debris on Snyder's property is just a fraction of the mess along the Loyalsock Creek where flooding ripped away all sorts of personal belongings including electronics from people's homes and businesses, leaving them on other people's homes and creek sides.
A group of volunteers set aside some time this Saturday to help Snyder and a handful of his neighbors clean the creek's banks.
"This work is not done and the people who were affected by the flood, it's still here, not over till it's cleaned up," said volunteer Kevin O'Shea.
He added he expects dozens, hundreds even, to pitch in, and he expects this will be the first of many clean-ups if they can pay for them.
"The problem we'll have for April is the financial part of paying for dumpsters and paying to have them emptied," O'Shea added.
For now, the people who plan to make the creek pristine again hope this weekend is just another step toward returning life and nature to normal.
