Since it began 28 years ago, the annual Conasauga Watershed Clean-Up has removed more than 130 tons of trash and debris from the Conasauga River and the streams that flow into it.
John Lugthart, a professor of biology at Dalton State College, was one of the founders and is still one of the organizers of the event.
“That is his event, but it’s just one way he has an impact on the community,” said Marina Smitherman, a professor of biology at Dalton State College.
Lugthart has taken a particular interest in Dalton’s natural environment and has played a key role in helping the area stay clean and green.
He is known to many Daltonians for his work at the lake at Lakeshore Park. He and his students conduct much research there, and he helped the city restore the lake and the wetlands around it to a more natural state. He also worked with officials in Varnell to restore the Varnell spring.
He and his wife Gretchen helped create the Roadrunner Trail System on the ridge around the Dalton State College campus.
For his many efforts to make the Greater Dalton area a greener and more attractive place to live, the Dalton Daily Citizen names John Lugthart Citizen of the Week.