I have to say, it makes your walk worthwhile. You are not just walking, looking around, checking out the flowers and plants. You are picking. You are making things better. I think it’s a good thing.”

Joyce Andrews, on why she cleans the local shoreline

Although she marked her 76th birthday earlier this year, Joyce Andrews — known locally as the “Trash Queen” of Tiverton — has no plans to retire or relinquish her crown anytime soon.

She earned the nickname because, for much of the last decade, she walked daily at Fogland Beach to pick up trash that others left behind, becoming a familiar presence at the beach and well-known throughout the community for her consistent efforts. 

“I’ve been trashing for quite a while,” Andrews said, smiling.

About six years ago, she connected with Vicki Revier, chairwoman of the Tiverton Litter Committee, signed on as a volunteer and now serves as a member of its board.

When Andrews sold her home near Fogland recently and moved to Brookdale Sakonnet Bay, her visits to Fogland became less frequent. But her interest in being outdoors and keeping the environment and the beaches clean remains strong.

“Some people will say, ‘Oh, you’re getting so old.’ But I don’t feel old. I keep active, mentally and physically. I just have to do stuff all the time to keep occupied. I can’t stop. I have to keep going – outside.”

True enough, there is work to do near her new home, too. Through the Litter Committee’s Adopt an Area program, Brookdale Sakonnet Bay recently adopted two roads adjacent to its building, and Andrews spends some of her time keeping them litter-free.

“We adopted these two roads because of Joyce,” said Sheila Souza, Brookdale’s Director of Resident Programs. “She has her picker and her bags and off she goes.”

Last month, as part of the Litter Committee’s Spring Clean-up Week, Andrews joined other volunteers in clearing trash at local beaches. At Grinnell’s, she was part of a four-person group that collected more than 31 pounds of trash in a few hours. 

A few days later, under threatening skies, she and other Brookdale volunteers spent an hour or so at Fogland Beach, picking up discarded cups, food containers, plastic water bottles, cigarette butts, and the ubiquitous “nips” mini-liquor bottles that were strewn randomly along a stretch of beach.

Despite the litter, “being here is so wonderful,” said Andrews.

As it started to rain, she pulled the hood of her jacket up and kept going, plastic bag and picker in hand. Her persistence seemed to pay off as before long, she found what amounted to Trash Queen treasure — the remains of a McDonalds feast that someone had tossed on a patch of grass near the shore.

Andrews seems pleased that she is serving as a positive role model to others in the community.

“When people see me with the picker, they decide to do it too. They’ll ask, ‘Where did you buy that?’ And I say, ‘You can buy it anywhere. Get a picker, and bring a bag with you. It’s simple. You can do it.’”

“I have to say, it makes your walk worthwhile. You are not just walking, looking around, checking out the flowers and plants. You are picking. You are making things better. I think it’s a good thing.” 

If you want to volunteer, see the Tiverton Litter Committee’s website at www.tivertonlittercommittee.org.