Washington Township will get a fall cleanup Oct. 10
It’s time to wake up early, put on your least favorite pants, grab some coffee and clean up the township.
The Washington Township Environmental Commission is hosting its sixth annual Washington Township Clean-Up Day Oct. 10. Anne Hastings, resident and member of the environmental commission, said residents will be combing through about 25 sites, picking up items that are out of their natural habitat — like beer cans, tires and office desks. Though the environmental commission, as of Sept. 17, had not finished its survey of which areas need to be cleaned, the good news is that there appear to be fewer areas in need of help, down from 30 sites last year.
“We’ve noticed a marked decrease in the amount of litter in the township,” Hastings said. “So I guess we’re doing a good job with this. Hopefully it’s down through awareness, but I’m not sure. I think maybe the economy may be playing a part in it — maybe not as many people are visiting fast food restaurants, but we have noticed a decrease.”
Every year, members of the all-volunteer commission survey the township, looking for areas that need to be cleaned up, Hastings said.
Regardless of the dollar’s strength versus the yen, parts of Washington Township remain in need of a cleanup, and that starts Oct. 10 with check-in at 8 a.m. at Washington Lake Park. From there, volunteers are supplied with trash bags and gloves, some fuel for cleaning — coffee, juice and doughnuts — and are given their assignments and sent on their way. The cleanup runs from 9 a.m. to noon, and is capped off with a picnic luncheon at the park’s picnic pavilion.
Last year’s cleanup drew about 600 volunteers — up from the 25 volunteers at the inaugural cleanup. At press time, there were 100 volunteers on board, though a lot of residents sign up at the last minute, Hastings said.
And the cleanup goes beyond items that can be picked up with a pointy stick. “Last year, we found a huge metal office desk and chair and a filing cabinet,” Hastings said. “We needed some heavy-duty equipment to get rid of that. We’ve also come across items like tires, palates and mattresses. Sometimes we find dump sites, and have to clean them up.”
She added that the volunteers will clean up all of the targeted trouble spots in the township, save for the Black Horse Pike area, which would be too dangerous for pedestrians.
Washington Township Environmental Commission is independent of the township and thrives on private donations, many of which come from the engineering firms that work with the township. Despite being independent, the commission will have the help of the public works department, which will pick up all of the bagged debris the same day.
Hastings calls the environmental commission a small band of dedicated people, adding that the group is always looking for more volunteers. The organization also hosts an Earth Day celebration, does stream sampling, holds bird watches and puts on environmental presentations throughout the year.
“We’d like to do more in the township, but it’s difficult without the help.” To register for the event, or for more information, call 856-589-0520, ext. 232, or visit www.township.nj.com. The rain date is one week later, Monday, Oct. 17.
The Washington Township Environmental Commission is hosting its sixth annual Washington Township Clean-Up Day Oct. 10. Anne Hastings, resident and member of the environmental commission, said residents will be combing through about 25 sites, picking up items that are out of their natural habitat — like beer cans, tires and office desks. Though the environmental commission, as of Sept. 17, had not finished its survey of which areas need to be cleaned, the good news is that there appear to be fewer areas in need of help, down from 30 sites last year.
“We’ve noticed a marked decrease in the amount of litter in the township,” Hastings said. “So I guess we’re doing a good job with this. Hopefully it’s down through awareness, but I’m not sure. I think maybe the economy may be playing a part in it — maybe not as many people are visiting fast food restaurants, but we have noticed a decrease.”
Every year, members of the all-volunteer commission survey the township, looking for areas that need to be cleaned up, Hastings said.
Regardless of the dollar’s strength versus the yen, parts of Washington Township remain in need of a cleanup, and that starts Oct. 10 with check-in at 8 a.m. at Washington Lake Park. From there, volunteers are supplied with trash bags and gloves, some fuel for cleaning — coffee, juice and doughnuts — and are given their assignments and sent on their way. The cleanup runs from 9 a.m. to noon, and is capped off with a picnic luncheon at the park’s picnic pavilion.
Last year’s cleanup drew about 600 volunteers — up from the 25 volunteers at the inaugural cleanup. At press time, there were 100 volunteers on board, though a lot of residents sign up at the last minute, Hastings said.
And the cleanup goes beyond items that can be picked up with a pointy stick. “Last year, we found a huge metal office desk and chair and a filing cabinet,” Hastings said. “We needed some heavy-duty equipment to get rid of that. We’ve also come across items like tires, palates and mattresses. Sometimes we find dump sites, and have to clean them up.”
She added that the volunteers will clean up all of the targeted trouble spots in the township, save for the Black Horse Pike area, which would be too dangerous for pedestrians.
Washington Township Environmental Commission is independent of the township and thrives on private donations, many of which come from the engineering firms that work with the township. Despite being independent, the commission will have the help of the public works department, which will pick up all of the bagged debris the same day.
Hastings calls the environmental commission a small band of dedicated people, adding that the group is always looking for more volunteers. The organization also hosts an Earth Day celebration, does stream sampling, holds bird watches and puts on environmental presentations throughout the year.
“We’d like to do more in the township, but it’s difficult without the help.” To register for the event, or for more information, call 856-589-0520, ext. 232, or visit www.township.nj.com. The rain date is one week later, Monday, Oct. 17.
