Volunteers from Sigma Phi Delta (Rutgers)
On Saturday, April 18, there was a very successful clean up of The Highland Park Meadows, the 18 acre natural area located between Donaldson Park and the Edison border. Restoration work was also carried out on Saturday at the site, which is returning to a more natural environment that includes the Raritan River flood plain, wetlands, forest and meadow areas on the plateau areas of the site.
The Meadows Cleanup was organized by NJ Community Water Watch and the Highland Park Environmental Commission and co-sponsored by Sigma Phi Delta, Delta Sigma Iota (Rutgers University) and the Nature Club of the Reformed Church of Highland Park.
Water Watch recruited over 100 volunteers from Rutgers with many from Sigma Phi Delta and Delta Sigma Iota. There were also numerous volunteers from the Reformed Church Nature club and the community.
The event began at 10:00 AM with brief remarks by Council President Elsie Foster-Dublin and Freeholder Jim Polos on the importance of preserving places like The Meadows and ensuring the sustainability of our communities.
Saturday’s event at The Meadows had several particular goals:
- Removal of trash that been dumped in The Meadows.
- Removal of debris and plastic bottles along the Raritan
- Improving the Meadows Trail
- Removal of invasive vines, bushes, and plants from the site.
- Introducing nature to some of the volunteers
- Promoting a spirit of community and volunteerism
The volunteers removed more than fifty bags of recyclables, more than fifty bags of trash, and large piles of debris including about a half ton of metal (from shopping carts to washing machines). The volunteers smoothed approximately 1500 feet of trail in preparation for its new woodchip surface and cut and removed over an acre of invasive vines and bushes.
Saturday was a glorious warm sunny day and the volunteers, despite working very hard, had a great time, learned a lot, and significantly improved The Meadows. We had volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. See images below.
The Highland Park Environmental Commission would like to thank all the volunteers for committing their time and energy to this project. We would particularly like to commend the students from Rutgers for their dedication to service and to NJ Water Watch for mobilizing the volunteers and for their part in organizing the cleanup. We would like to thank the Highland Park Department of Public Works for the appropriate disposal of all of the trash and recyclables.
The Meadows Cleanup was one of the activities in the 5th Annual Raritan-Wide Earth Day River Cleanup, which was organized by the Raritan River Earth Day Coalition. They mobilized over 1300 volunteers for cleanup efforts in communities along the Raritan River to show community support for the protection and restoration of the river. NJ Community Water Watch organized three of the sites along the Raritan River, mobilizing over 400 volunteers. NJ Community Water Watch’s website is www.njwaterwatch.org
Elsie Foster-Dublin Borough Council President
Freeholder James Polos and Daughter
NJ Community Water Watch Volunteers
Volunteers Carrying Out the Trash from the Raritan River
Volunteers from Delta Sigma Iota Carrying out Trash
Lots of Trash Removed from Meadows
Carrying Out the Trash
Smiling Volunteers
More Smiling Volunteers
Look What They Found
Even More Smiling Volunteers
The Whole Family Joining in Down by the Raritan
A Senior Volunteer
New Message Board at the Trailhead
Beginning of Meadows Trail
The Meadows with Trail Outlined
Wonderful day and thanks for the work and pictures!
Wow! From the photos this looks like one of the most populous cleanups the Meadows has ever had. And successful: I was down there a couple of days later (sorry I couldn’t be there for the cleanup itself) and found it something of a shock to stand on the banks of the old Raritan and see the banks so clean.