Cleaning Up the Shed
by
Lisa Ryan We don’t always have the space to properly thank our volunteers, but this time we do, and we’re taking full advantage of it! The primary venue for folks to volunteer with Hackensack Riverkeeper is our river cleanup program, and this year it has been expanded to include corporate-sponsored cleanups. Between these new folks and our hard-core group of regular volunteers, an awful lot of trash is being pulled out of our precious waterways, so do us a favor, and don’t litter! Thank you volunteers - we’ll let the photos say the rest... Coles
Brook: Stream Restoration & Cleanup Complete! Can you believe thatTHIS............came
out of.........HERE?
After 4 long years and countless days of hard labor by Hackensack Riverkeeper staff, volunteers, consultants & contractors, our government-funded Coles Brook stream restoration is complete. A cleanup held at Staib Park in Hackensack in late May yielded this heap of trash, as perennial flowers and shrubs began to bloom. Stop by sometime soon to see this flourishing urban ecosystem, or join the group of volunteers who will continue to remove weeds and other invasive species. 
Watershed-Wide Cleanup Report May 13 marked the first ever Watershed-Wide Cleanup & Recreation Day, and in spite of a drizzly beginning, it was a sunny, smashing success. After several hours of pulling garbage out of the river, the City of Hackensack dedicated a tree planting to Capt. Bill. Lunch and an afternoon of games and entertainment followed. Prizes were given for the most interesting garbage, like the most patriotic (a flag) and most ironic (a garbage can). A warm thanks to Elyse Levy, our recent Watershed Ambassador, for organizing this event and making it a huge success, and thanks to all our corporate sponsors. Noteworthy: Anyone who has participated in a cleanup can attest to the fact that we always find an abundance of styrofoam, in every shape and size. Styrofoam is considered a possible carcinogen (especially in the production phase), and is notorious for breaking into pieces that choke animals and clog their digestive systems. Along with other plastics, styrofoam takes up 25-30% of landfills.
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