Volunteers Needed for Second Annual Earth Month Cleanup
The clean-up will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on April 22, 2022, with registration opening at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers will meet at the Wilmington Town Beach at Lake Everest for the Wilmington event, or the parking lot on the corner of NY-9 and Bear Swamp Road for the Au Sable Point event. For more information, visit the Ausable River Association website: https://www.ausableriver.org/events/earth-month-ausable-river-cleanup.
WILMINGTON, NY — The Ausable River Association (AsRA) and three regional Rotary Clubs are partnering to host an Ausable River cleanup on Saturday, April 23. This year, The Rotary Club of the Au Sable Valley and Lake Placid Rotary Club will focus on roadways and riverbanks in the Lake Placid, Wilmington, Jay, Upper Jay, and Keene Communities. The Plattsburgh Rotary Club is hosting a simultaneous cleanup event in and around Ausable Point near Peru, NY.
AsRA invites all community members who want to restore and protect the beauty of the Ausable River to attend. “Last year, about 100 people joined us on a sunny Saturday to remove approximately 2,000 pounds of trash along Route 86, 9N, River Road, and other locations” said Tyler Merriam, Donor Outreach Manager at AsRA. “We’re thrilled to partner with more organizations this year and offer a second cleanup location lead by the Rotary Club of Plattsburgh.”
The clean-up will take place along the roadside in an effort to remove trash built up over the winter. The West Branch portion will cover the roadside from Wilmington to the Ski Jumps in Lake Placid. The East Branch portion will cover the roadside from the hamlet of Jay to the hamlet of Keene. AsRA has added additional sections of road to the cleanup plan this year to accommodate feedback from last year’s participants and other community groups.
Joining AsRA and Rotary Clubs this year are additional sponsors of the Wilmington event location. One Tree Planted, an international environmental organization, is providing financial and logistical support for the event. NRS, an international outdoor equipment business with a strong regional presence, is providing lunch for all cleanup volunteers. Revo, an international sunglasses company, is donating several pairs of sunglasses as a door prize raffle for cleanup volunteers. Several local municipalities and individuals have also joined in the effort by picking up trash, disposing of waste free of charge, and providing other services that will make the event run smoothly.
“The clean-up is intended to engage the community in protecting and restoring the Ausable River and its watershed,” said Liz Metzger, Research Associate and event coordinator at AsRA. “The Ausable River faces many challenges, including climate change, road salt pollution, invasive species, undersized culverts, and bank erosion. Clean-up participants will be improving the health of the river and allowing it to better manage and survive these challenges.”
The clean-up will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on April 22, 2022, with registration opening at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers will meet at the Wilmington Town Beach at Lake Everest for the Wilmington event, or the parking lot on the corner of NY-9 and Bear Swamp Road for the Au Sable Point event. For more information, visit the Ausable River Association website: https://www.ausableriver.org/events/earth-month-ausable-river-cleanup.
Photo caption: Volunteers at the 2021 Earth Month Ausable River Cleanup removed 2,000 pounds of trash that would have ended up in the Ausable River. Photo provided – John DiGiacomo, Placid Times Photography.
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Posted: April 18th, 2022 under General News.