In an effort to help restore the Raritan River, more than 150
volunteers cleaned up garbage littering the banks of the Mile Run Brook
in New Brunswick.
Community members, students and organizations contributed Saturday to
the fifth annual Raritan-Wide Earth Day Clean Up. Sponsored by the
Raritan River Earth Day Coalition, the clean up consisted of 15
environment-oriented and local community groups, said New Jersey Public
Interest Research Group Media Intern Casey Economides.
“We basically wanted to highlight the Raritan River because it’s
essential to New Jersey, not only because it’s the largest river but it
also supplies 1.2 million people with their drinking water,” said
Economides, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student. “However,
it’s the 14th polluted river in the nation.”
She said the coalition organized 23 clean up sites along the Raritan,
and the University’s New Jersey Community Water Watch chapter organized
three clean up sites at the Mile Run Brook and Lawrence Brook in New
Brunswick and the Meadows in Highland Park.
Around 10 a.m., volunteers gathered at Buccleuch Park for the kickoff
of the Mile Run Brook clean up. After a welcome by representatives of
NJ Water Watch, AmeriCorps and the New Brunswick City Council,
volunteers were provided with gloves and trash bags for the clean up,
which lasted until 2 p.m.
At a Children’s Water Festival, children were also able to participate in environmental education activities at the park.
Buccleuch Park was chosen as the kickoff location for the clean up because it was near the Mile Run Brook, Economides said.
“The reason why we targeted the Mile Run Brook specifically was because
a decade ago there was a specialty company that was dumping their waste
into the brook and it caused a hazardous waste site,” she said. “It was
actually NJ Water Watch interns that discovered the waste site and it’s
[been] a decade later; it’s still not fully restored.”
Despite this, Economides said they made a significant difference with the clean up.
“Not only are we able to educate people our age and the people that are
older but the generation below us so that they can carry on these tips
for being able to keep the water clean and the environment,” she said.
NJPIRG Water Watch Intern Hawwa Muhammad said the annual Raritan River-Wide clean up was a success.
“Gradually, as more and more people attend throughout the years it
really speaks to the awareness we’re spreading as a group and the power
of student activism,” said Muhammad, a Rutgers College senior.
NJPIRG Water Watch Intern Kevin Lin said the group recovered a substantial amount of trash.
“Today’s Earth Day event not only was about picking up trash, but it
highlights the importance of protecting and restoring the Raritan River
to its original glory,” said Lin, a School of Arts and Sciences
first-year student.
Rutgers College junior Steven Shaw said he was amazed the entire
Raritan community spawned 1,300 volunteers from 15 organizations helped
clean the 23 sites.
“My clean up group stationed at Kilmer Avenue was completely shocked
and disgusted by the conditions,” he said. “These volunteers really
enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to witness the conditions in
these areas in New Brunswick.”
