Diapers, cans, bottles and assorted discarded plastics – that’s what was collected in Grover Park during the annual stream cleanup earlier this month in Princeton.
More than 30 volunteers collected nearly 700 pounds of trash at the stream cleanup, sponsored by the Watershed Institute – formerly known as the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association.
Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert applauded the volunteers, who spent two hours on April 6 combing through Grover Park, which is next to the Princeton Shopping Center.
“We are so grateful to all the volunteers who turned out to help with the stream cleanup, and to the Watershed Institute for organizing this impactful even,” Mayor Lempert said.
“The cleanup makes a positive difference in the health of Harry’s Brook and our larger watershed,” Mayor Lempert said.
The 694 pounds of trash that was pulled from Grover Park was among the combined 12,910 pounds collected during the two stream cleanup days – April 6 and April 13 – coordinated by the Watershed Institute in 12 municipalities.
Volunteers in the 13 towns pulled out shopping carts, rusted barrels, signs, diapers, cans, bottles and other assorted items from the waterways, Watershed Institute officials said.
Plastic in all forms – single-use drinks, cups, bags and food wrappers – was the most common trash item that was removed, Watershed Institute officials added.
The stream cleanup grew out of the annual Earth Day celebration. The first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970.
Earth Day galvanized more than 20 million Americans to pay attention to the environment, launching the modern environmental movement, according www.earthday.org.
Many groundbreaking environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, grew out of the environmental movement, according to the website.
The environmental movement went international in 1990, involving millions of people in more than 140 countries.