Approximately 150 people celebrated Earth Day 2007 by getting down and dirty, on a beautiful spring morning at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum for the annual Darby Creek Clean-Up.  The event, sponsored by the Darby Creek Valley Association, in cooperation with the Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Friends of the Heinz Wildlife Refuge, was held one week earlier than the rest of the watershed clean-up scheduled for the following Saturday, April 28. This was due to the tidal nature of the creek at the refuge.  The clean-up must take place during a low tide cycle so participants can get into areas along the creek banks and onto the tidal flats in order to collect the debris that finds its way to the refuge.

Along with many individual volunteers several organized groups turned out including employees and their families from Boeing, Waste Management, Delaware County Community Services, and RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program).  In addition, several school and scout groups pitched in including Boy Scout Troop 43, Woodlyn, Holy Child Academy, Sun Valley High School, Edgewood School Pack 485, and St. Gabriel Parish Cub Scout Pack 174. 

Refuge clean-up coordinator and Heinz Refuge facilities manager Mike McMenamin said 120 cubic yards of trash completely filled two dumpsters.  The recent flooding rains had actually brought in an additional load of debris giving volunteers quite a workout this year. He went on to say that the refuge is very thankful to all those who have turned out year after year to make a great difference in both habitat quality as well as aesthetic quality of the refuge.

The refuge is home to the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania and is one of  the most urban refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System.