Although Earth Day has officially been designated as April 22, that won’t stop East Windsor Township and Hightstown Borough residents from getting together a few days early for the annual “Clean Up the Stream Day” in their respective towns.
Stream cleaner-uppers will gather in East Windsor Township at Etra Lake Park on Disbrow Hill Road and at the Hightstown Memorial Park at 1 N. Main St. in Hightstown Borough on April 13 at 9 a.m. The cleanup ends at 11 a.m.
Participants should wear long pants and closed-toed shoes, and bring along a reusable water bottle. Gloves and bags will be provided. Children are welcomed and must be accompanied by an adult.
The stream cleanup at Etra Lake Park is being co-sponsored by East Windsor Township and the Watershed Institute – formerly known as the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association – in cooperation with the Americorps Watershed Ambassador Program, said East Windsor Township Mayor Janice S. Mironov.
“We encourage residents to participate in this worthwhile community cleanup effort at Etra Lake Park as a terrific way to preserve our natural resources,” Mayor Mironov said.
“The purpose of this cleanup is to remove litter from our local watershed streams, which helps to keep our water resources clean, and to provide for a cleaner and more environmentally healthy stream,” Mayor Mironov said.
Highstown Borough Mayor Lawrence Quattrone agreed.
“We recognize the importance of clean water. Cleaning up the stream is one step in that direction,” Mayor Quattrone said, adding that the stream cleanup is an annual event in Hightstown Borough.
The Hightstown Borough stream cleanup is being sponsored by Hightstown Borough and the Watershed Institute.
Over the past 12 years, the annual stream cleanup has helped to remove more than 105,000 pounds of trash – 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 the event in the wake of an oil spill in California. He wanted to draw attention to a national day to focus on the environment, according to www.earthday.org.
The first Earth Day in 1970 galvanized more than 20 million Americans to pay attention to the environment, launching the modern environmental movement, according the Earth Day website.
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 for stream cleanup participants. Residents who want to join in can sign up by emailing Erin Stretz at [email protected].