RUMFORD – Barbara Smith-Baker hates trash. She particularly hates seeing it lying along the sides of roads and on the banks of the Androscoggin River.

This year, for the third time, she has organized a trash pickup along the river’s banks from the lower parking lot at the public library, under Veterans Bridge, to the snow dump on Rumford Avenue, then to the so-called Red Bridge that connects Rumford with Mexico.

“When tourists and local people drive that spot, the garbage is a horrible visual. When it is picked up, the bank is beautiful,” she said. “The riverbank is one of the first things people see.”

She and a friend began the trash pickup three years ago on the 35th annual Earth Day.

She still organizes the event, but now she does it as a Downtown Revitalization Committee project.

Several people including local Cub Scouts have volunteered, but she’s looking for more people to give an hour or two of their time. Those interested may call her at 369-9141 or just show up.

Garbage bags will be supplied. Volunteers should wear gloves and appropriate footwear suitable for climbing up and down the riverbank.

“It’s amazing how many bags of garbage you get out,” she said.

Last year, volunteers picked up 27 bags of trash. With more volunteers, she expects even more will be gathered.

The most frequently found items are coffee cups, plastic bags and paper wrappers. Each year the volunteers have also dragged about a half-dozen tires up the banks.

The most unusual item found was a plastic folder with the remains of someone’s coin collection.

“It looked like someone had stolen what they wanted, then tossed the rest away. It told a story,” she said.

The folder and remaining coins were turned into police, she said.

Rumford Public Works will pick up the filled bags once volunteers have completed their project.

Earth Day was started in 1970 to call attention to the earth and its environment. Since then, several major pieces of federal legislation aimed at preserving the planet have been passed, including the Clean Air and Clean Water acts.