Bruce Andersen (seated behind wheel), a member of Lake Norman Covekeepers, takes a group of volunteers from Whole Foods out to remove trash from the lake.

May 23. Volunteers from the Lake Norman Covekeepers ventured onto the water May 14 to remove litter that had accumulated along shores and on islands.

Patty Korn, site coordinator at the Beatty’s Ford Access, said the 23 volunteers checked all of the islands in Lincoln County–except one with a lot of poison ivy–and several islands in Mecklenburg.

The volunteers removed several bags of trash, one bag of plastic bottles, one bag of aluminum cans and several glass bottles. They also collected large pieces of wood and floats, a grill top, two large inner tubes, shoes, pool noodles, shotgun shells and other debris.

The Covekeepers organize a spring and a fall cleanup each year. Volunteer and outreach coordinator Lauren Kim leads the cleanup efforts.

The Lake Norman Covekeepers will hold their next meeting at 7 p.m. May 26 at the East Lincoln Fire Department. Guest speaker Laura Brooks will discuss solar energy applications in the context of water quality and quantity, habitat and climate change.