Although Earth Day has officially been designated as April 22, that won’t stop Princeton residents from getting together a few days early to for the annual “Clean Up the Stream Day” on April 6.
Stream cleaner-uppers will gather at Grover Park, behind the Princeton Shopping Center on N. Harrison Street, at 9 a.m. April 6. The event, which is being sponsored by the Watershed Institute – formerly known as the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association – ends at 11 a.m.
Participants should wear long pants and boots for the cleanup, which is a rain or shine event, and also bring along a reusable water bottle. Gloves and bags will be provided. Children are invited, but must be accompanied by an adult.
Mayor Liz Lempert said town officials are thankful to the Watershed Institute for organizing a stream cleanup every year and to the residents who turn out, ready to help.
“It’s always pretty shocking how much garbage is collected during a cleanup like this. It feels great knowing we live in a community where people are ready and willing to pitch in to beautify our parks and streams,” Mayor Lempert said.
Over the past 12 years, the annual stream cleanup effort has helped to remove more than 105,000 pounds of garbage – or more than 52 tons – with the help of 5,400 volunteers, according to the Watershed Institute.
The stream cleanup grew out of the annual Earth Day celebration. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. Then-U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin founded Earth Day following a 1969 oil spill in California, trying to draw attention to a national day to focus on the environment.
Earth Day galvanized more than 20 million Americans to pay attention to the environment, launching the modern environmental movement, according to www.earthday.org.
Many groundbreaking environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, grew out of the environmental movement.
The environmental movement went international in 1990, involving millions of people in more than 140 countries.
Closer to home, this year’s cleanup is a great way to get outside, improve the scenic beauty of the region and to positively impact the environment, Watershed Institute officials said.
The Watershed Institute will provide T-shirts and refreshments. There is no need to pre-register, and walk-ins are welcome.