ATLANTA -- Being held for 26 years by the DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Erosion and Sediment Control Seminar will begin May 30 at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center at 8:00 that morning. 

For 2013, discussions will focus on "Gaining Public Support for Water Quality" and "Atlanta's New Green Infrastructure Ordinance." 

"This is a unique opportunity for the public to learn about controlling soil erosion, stabilizing streambanks and protecting water quality for the citizens and businesses in DeKalb County and the surrounding metro areas," Robert Amos, Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission regional representative.

Those who attend will learn about new sediment and control practices, products and programs from speakers including GEMA representatives, and others from City of Atlanta, the Department of Watershed Maintenance, Georgia Tech and the NPDES Stormwater Training Institute.

ATLANTA -- This year's Sweep the Hooch event is expected to be the biggest one yet.

The annual Chattahoochee River clean-up to slated to attract nearly 600 volunteers at a number of locations along the water.

Last year, Sweep the Hooch participants gathered up nearly four tons of trash.

"This is the kind of hands-on work that Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and our partners do that reaffirms our commitment to keeping our river clean," Chattahoochee Riverkeeper executive director Sally Bethea said in a statement. "We'll have volunteers paddling the river, wading in the water and combing the shoreline for trash."

Clean-up locations along the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area run from Buford Dam to Paces Mill.

Sweep the Hooch will be Saturday, Apr. 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To sign up as an individual or with a group, visit sweepthehooch.org.

DUNWOODY, Ga. -- The Dunwoody Nature Center is accepting applications from high school students who wish to join its Leadership-in-Training and Environmental Stewardship (LITES) program.

LITES will following a nationally-recognized curriculum that teaches rising 9th through 12th graders about solving environmental problems.

Campers will focus on character, teamwork and leadership as they develop a lifelong commitment to nature and the environment. By the end of the LITES program, they should be able to identify problems, pick out available resources and create strategies to solve them.

The LITES program is accepting 16 high schoolers for a session held the week of June 10. The cost is $75 per camper. Visit dunwoodynature.org for more information.