Good Housekeeping magazine attributes the following to Cecil Baxter:

“You don’t get anything clean without getting something else dirty.”

Volunteers in Upper and Lower Milford townships will soon prove Baxter correct as they participate in cleanup days.

First up the Joint Environmental Advisory Council, which includes Emmaus borough and Upper Milford Township, will host a cleanup 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 17.

Volunteers will meet at Emmaus Community Park, Shimerville Road at South 14th Street, Emmaus.

Workers will gather litter and debris from sites in the borough and township.

Volunteers in need of gloves, safety vests and bags may call 610-966-3223 or email info@uppermilford.net to arrange for supplies.

The following week, Lower Milford Township will welcome volunteers to help clean up 8 a.m. to noon April 24.

The township will provide gloves, safety vests, garbage bags and bottled water. A free picnic lunch will be offered at the township building, 7606 Chestnut Hill Church Road, Lower Milford Township, after the cleanup.

Volunteers can register by contacting the township secretary at 610-967-4949, ext. 111.

By the way, both townships also welcome history enthusiasts to their respective historical societies.

The Upper Milford Township Historical Society is expected to meet online April 29 when Bucks County Recorder of Deeds Robin Robinson will share the story of how original deeds, dating from the 1680s and found in a warehouse, have been preserved. Registration is required for the event. Visit the website www.uppermilford.org or visit the group’s Facebook page for additional information.

A March 9 post on the Lower Milford Township Historical Society Facebook page offers details about the Lanark School in the township. According to the site, the first female teacher in Lehigh County, Mary Jenkins, taught at the school beginning in 1848.

The society’s meetings are suspended right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Monthly meetings will resume when conditions permit and information will be posted to the group’s Facebook page.

Another group focused on local history is Hivel Und Dahl Preservation Society, an organization dedicated to the preservation of landmarks as well as traditions and culture in both Upper and Lower Milford townships, according to its website.

Pandemic conditions put on hold a fundraising campaign to restore the Schubert-Graber log building, 6561 Powder Valley Road. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is significant for its architecture and engineering.

The building was reportedly constructed in the late 1700s.

For more information about the preservation society, including membership information, visit the website www.hivelunddahl.org or the group’s Facebook page.

In meeting news, Upper Milford Township Supervisors are expected to meet 7 p.m. April 15.

The zoning hearing board is set to meet 7 p.m. April 12.

The planning commission is scheduled to meet for a workshop 7:30 p.m. April 13.

The recreation commission will meet 7 p.m. April 19 in Lenape Park.

Check the township website at www.uppermilford.net for a full schedule of meetings and times as well as information on COVID-19 protocols with regard to meetings.

In Lower Milford Township, the board of supervisors will meet 6:30 p.m. April 15.

The recreation and open space board is to meet 7 p.m. April 14.

A planning commission workshop is scheduled 7:30 p.m. April 19.

The zoning hearing board is to meet 7 p.m. April 28.

Check the township website at www.lowermilford.org for a complete schedule of meetings and times as well as information on pandemic protocols for meetings.

Earth Day is officially observed April 22. Choose to reduce, recycle and reuse.