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50 tons of trash pulled in during 11th River Cleanup |
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Results are in for our 11th annual Source to Sea Cleanup held on September 29, 2007. We’re happy to report that again we had our highest turnout ever. This year’s cleanup, sponsored by New England Family Farms Milk, was held in 60 locations from Pittsburg, NH to Old Saybrook, CT and involved a record 2,016 volunteers. More than 50 tons of trash was hauled out of the Connecticut River and its tributaries, including 594 illegally dumped tires. Download a PDF of the Cleanup Chronicle 2007 for full detail.
We were lucky to have great weather, and though there was a drought in the preceding months, it allowed access to riverbank areas that are normally under water. Volunteers displayed great enthusiasm and creativity in figuring out ways to get to trash.
 Participating groups chose one or more sites along the Connecticut or their favorite water body to clean. CRWC provided supplies, organizing ties, and support. As they do each year, volunteers found thousands of fast food containers, bottles, cans, cups, and plastic bags. But some groups reported finding less trash than last year, which is good news. “One of our goals is to reduce litter and dumped trash in and along our rivers,” says Mass. River Steward Andrea Donlon, the event’s organizer. Some groups also made a concerted effort to recycle beverage containers and scrap metal. This year’s oddball Cleanup assortment included a bread machine, parking meter, snowmobile, hot water heater, and a stash of vacuum cleaners. A full trash tally is shown below.
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Enter our Cleanup Design Contest!
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 WANTED: Creative people of any age to submit an 8x11 inch drawing or design with a river cleanup theme. Winning image(s) will be used to create the 2008 Cleanup t-shirts, poster, and/or other promotional material at the discretion of CRWC. Send original artwork to Andrea Donlon at CRWC, 15 Bank Row, Greenfield MA 01301. If you make a computer-generated image, you can email it to cleanup@ctriver.org. Original artwork will not be returned to the owner, so please keep your own copy. DEADLINE: June 13, 2008. Questions? Call Andrea at 413-772-2020 x. 205. |
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 Trash Tally 2007
Our groups reported filling 1,465 trash bags with the garbage they collected. Bulky items were often hauled away in pickup trucks and dumpsters. Here is an itemized list of the items found by groups. Actual numbers are higher because many groups did not count or report specific trash items. |
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| Item |
Quantity* |
Item |
Quantity* |
cans & bottles |
>>5,969+ 64 bags + 2 bushels |
guns/bb guns/water guns |
13 |
cups, caps, wrappers |
>>2,469+2 bags |
car batteries |
12 |
tires |
>594.5 |
shotgun shells |
11 |
empty bags |
343 |
carpets, rugs |
11 |
styrofoam |
>>333 |
baby stroller, crib |
11 |
clothing |
194 + 70 lbs + 3 bags |
bags of leaves |
10 |
scrap metal |
195 + 35 bags + 11,260 lbs |
camping gear |
10 |
demolition, bldg mat. |
>>127 + 2 tons |
boat parts, boats |
9 |
fishing gear & bait cont. |
>235 |
dishes, kitchen items |
9 |
asphalt shingles |
166 |
propane cylinders |
8 |
illegally dumped trash bags |
152 |
desk/table |
7 |
cars, car parts |
112 + hundreds of brake parts + pile of bumpers |
CDs/DVDs |
6 |
newspapers, paper |
65 + 30 lbs+ 2 bales + 40 bags |
toilet/urinal |
6 |
diapers |
94 + 4 bags |
hoses/tubing/piping |
5 + 50 ft |
shoes |
88 |
AC |
4 |
sporting equip., balls |
69 |
alkaline batteries |
4 |
wood, lumber |
>65 |
blanket, pillows |
4 |
shopping carts |
63 |
rope, cord |
>4 |
misc. plastic |
59 |
signs |
4 |
appliances (fridge, stoves) |
56 |
sink |
3 |
barrels |
>51.5 |
BBQ grills |
3 |
bicycles |
>50.5 |
water heater |
3 |
toys |
50 |
6-pack holders |
2 |
cigarette lighter |
44 |
lawnmowers |
2 |
lawn furniture |
44 |
cooler |
2 |
automotive products |
34 |
bathtub |
2 |
paint can, spray paint |
33 |
misc. furniture |
2 |
chair/couch |
30 |
knives, machetes |
2 |
beds/mattresses |
29 |
syringe |
>1 |
TV, VCR |
29 |
snowmobile |
1 |
buoys, injection foam |
22 |
scooter |
1 |
anything with a cord |
20 |
swimming, wading pool |
1 |
vacuum cleaners |
19 |
car seat |
1 |
used motor oil |
>18 |
porta-potty |
1 |
electronics |
18 |
luggage |
1 |
5-gallon plastic pails |
17 |
silt fence |
1 |
tarp |
14 |
dead animal in plastic |
1 |
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| * Actual numbers are higher. Some groups did not itemize or count. |
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Sponsors 2007
CRWC would like to thank the numerous businesses and communities that donated the money, supplies, equipment, food, and volunteer labor to CRWC and local groups to make this Cleanup a big success. In particular, we’d like to recognize event sponsor New England Family Farms milk for their financial support, as well as CDM, the Metropolitan  District Commission, Greenfield Savings Bank, NRG Middletown Operations, the Brattleboro Reformer, and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Most trash bags were donated by National River Cleanup-American Rivers.  A full list of our sponsors is shown in the table below. |
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Beck & Eldergill, P.C. |
Lea, Carola |
Belchertown Conservation Commission |
Metropolitan District Commission |
Brattleboro Reformer |
Murtha Cullina LLP |
Brown And Roberts Hardware |
National River Cleanup Week |
C & S Wholesale Grocers |
New England Family Farms |
CDM |
NRG Middletown Operations |
Chester Marina |
Public Service Of New Hampshire |
Claremont Savings Bank |
SoVerNet |
Coca-Cola North America |
State of Vermont |
Concept2 Rowing |
Three County Fair |
Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation |
Tighe & Bond, Inc. |
Connecticut Light & Power Co. |
Town of East Windsor |
CopyCat Print Shop |
TransCanada Hydro Northeast Inc. |
Dartmouth Printing Company |
Vermont Guardian |
Fuss & O'Neill, Inc. |
Wal-Mart |
Greenfield Savings Bank |
West River Marina |
Hallmark Cards, Inc. |
Western Massachusetts Electric Co. |
Hays, William |
Westfield River Watershed Council |
Kroka Expeditions, Inc. |
Windham Solid Waste Management |
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Participating Groups 2007 |
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Cleanup Town |
Group Name |
Cleanup River |
Number of Volunteers |
Connecticut |
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Enfield |
Scantic River Watershed Association |
Connecticut and Scantic Rivers |
51 |
Essex |
CT River Museum & RiverQuest |
CT River, Essex Harbor, Nott Island |
9 |
Glastonbury |
Glastonbury High School Interact Club |
Connecticut River |
25 |
Glastonbury |
Glastonbury High School Environmental Club |
Connecticut River |
13 |
Hartford |
Trinity College Green Campus |
South Park River |
10 |
Hartford & West Hartford |
Park River Watershed Revitalization Initiative |
Park River |
28 |
Manchester |
Central CT Cachers |
Hockanum River |
21 |
Manchester |
Hockanum River Watershed Association |
Union Pond, Hockanum River |
20 |
Middletown |
Friends of the River |
Mattabasset River/Wilcox Island |
6 |
Middletown |
Middletown Republicans |
Connecticut River |
15 |
Middletown |
NRG Energy |
Connecticut River/Dart Island |
35 |
Middletown, Veteran's Park |
CT River Coastal Conservation District |
Coginchaug River |
26 |
Old Lyme |
[no group name] |
Black Hall, Lieutenant, CT River |
2 |
Old Saybrook @ Turtle Creek Wildlife Sanctuary |
Save the Sound, The Nature Conservancy, Old Saybrook Land Trust |
Connecticut River |
26 |
Rocky Hill |
Rocky Hill High School Lend-a-Paw |
Connecticut River at CT Ferry Park and surroundings |
11 |
Suffield & Windsor Locks |
Friends of the Canal, Boy Scout Troop 260, Boy Scout Troop 66, Condominium residents |
Connecticut River |
31 |
Various along the Farmington |
Farmington River Watershed Association |
Farmington River and tribs |
300 |
Wethersfield |
Metropolitan District Commission |
Wethersfield Cove |
36 |
Windsor |
Town of Windsor |
Connecticut River |
15 |
Windsor Locks |
Windsor Locks Conservation Commission |
Connecticut River and canal |
46 |
Massachusetts |
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Agawam, Bondis Island |
United Water |
Connecticut/Westfield River confluence |
9 |
Agawam, Pynchon Pt |
Westfield River Watershed Association |
confluence of Westfield and CT Rivers |
15 |
Amherst |
Junior Girl Scout Troop 88 |
Fort River |
11 |
Charlemont, Shelburne Falls |
Academy at Charlemont |
Deerfield River |
10 |
Chicopee |
Chicopee Conservation Commission |
Connecticut River |
see Holyoke
numbers |
Deerfield |
Phi Sigma Kappa of UMass. |
Deerfield River |
9 |
Deerfield |
UU Society of Amherst |
Connecticut River |
15 |
Deerfield |
Girl Scout Troop 242 |
Deerfield River near Deerfield Academy |
6 |
Easthampton |
Trial Court Community Service Program |
Lower Mill Pond, Oxbow near Rte 5 |
20 |
Greenfield, Leyden |
Green River Watershed Alliance/DRWA, WRSI Green Team, Franklin County Sherrif's Office, Eaglebrook School, cub scouts |
Green River |
225 |
Hadley |
Amherst High School Environmental Action Club |
Connecticut River at Mitch’s Marina |
9 |
Hadley |
Coca Cola |
Connecticut River at Mitch’s Marina |
18 |
Hadley/ Northampton |
UMASS Women's Rowing, MA DCR Universal Access program, Holyoke Rows |
Connecticut River |
20 |
Hatfield |
Cub Scout Pack 104 |
Connecticut River at Public Boat Ramp, Bashin Swim Area, Nook |
18 |
Hawley |
Pat & Tex LaMountain |
Chickley River |
3 |
Holyoke |
Holyoke Friends of the River with Pioneer Valley Divers, Appalachian Mountain Club, and AOS/United Water |
Connecticut River |
70 |
Longmeadow, Agawam, Springfield |
Pioneer Valley Yacht Club & Rowers, Longmeadow High School, Springfield Yacht Club |
Connecticut River |
50 |
Northampton |
Ward 3 Neighborhood Association |
Connecticut River, Meadows area |
14 |
Northfield |
Greater Northfield Watershed Association, Lane Construction, Pioneer Valley Regional HS global science class |
Connecticut River, Mill Brook, Bennett Brook |
36 |
South Hadley |
South Hadley High School Environmental Club |
Connecticut River |
27 |
South Hadley |
Mount Holyoke College Crew Team |
Connecticut River near Brunelle's Marina |
50 |
Sunderland to Northampton |
Bill Whitmore and friend |
CT River |
2 |
Templeton |
Otter River Stream Team |
Trout Brook |
14 |
Turners Falls, Northfield, Gill, Montague |
FirstLight Power Resources' Northfield Mountain, Great Falls Discovery Center, Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, Franklin County Technical School, Northfield Mount Hermon School Outdoor Team, Northfield Elementary School Sixth Grade, Gill Elementary School Second Grade, Junior Girl Scout Troop 328, Conway Junior Girl Scout Troop, Trial Court Community Service Program-Franklin Division, Western MA Electric Company |
Connecticut River |
287 |
Various along Westfield River |
Westfield River Watershed Association |
Westfield River |
46 |
Hanover to Lyme |
[no group name] |
Connecticut River |
2 |
New Hampshire |
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Keene |
Cheshire County Conservation District, Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee, Moosewood Ecological, Trout Unlimited, Keene State College, City of Keene, Keene High School, Monadnock Regional High School, Franklin Pierce College, Starbucks Coffee Company |
Ashuelot River |
150 |
Lyme |
Gray's Garbage Scow |
Connecticut River |
1 |
Lyme |
Lyme School |
Grant Brook & CT River |
5 |
Lyme |
Upper CT River Boat Club |
CT River & Clay Brook |
7 |
Pittsburg |
Pittsburg NH Cub Scout Pack 231 |
CT River at the source -- lakes plus tribs |
18 |
West Chesterfield and region |
Family group |
Connecticut River |
3 |
Vermont |
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Ascutney |
Weathersfield Middle School 7th Grade |
Connecticut River & Mill Brook |
20 |
Bellows Falls |
David Deen-River Steward |
Connecticut River |
1 |
Brattleboro |
Laurie Callahan, Eurasian milfoil paddle & cleanup |
West River at Retreat Meadows |
1 |
Putney |
Putney Energy Committee |
Sackets, Chase, E. Putney Brooks |
7 |
Saxtons River and Bellows Falls |
Vermont Academy |
Saxtons River |
12 |
Springfield and Ludlow |
Black River Action Team |
Black River |
43 |
St. Johnsbury |
St. Johnsbury Rotary Club
Barre Rotary Club
St. Johnsbury Fire Department |
Passumpsic River |
13 |
Walpole, NH |
Bellows Falls Rotary |
Connecticut River |
11 |
Waterford |
The GreenNEKs |
Connecticut River at Comerford Reservoir |
4 |
Windsor VT, Claremont NH, Ascutney VT, Weathersfield Bow |
Weathersfield Greenup |
Connecticut River |
8 |
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TOTAL |
2,016 |
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Images ©2007 CRWC, with thanks to Megan Hearne, Dave Hoitt, Joan Elvers-Hoitt, Jeanne Friedman, and Jonathan Moss.
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