Community Helps Clean Up the Rahway River at the 8th Annual South Orange River Day

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – For the eighth year, volunteers came out to clean-up the Rahway River and celebrate environmental education and awareness at South Orange River Day.

Meeting in Meadowland Park, volunteers could enter the river at several spots to clean trash from both the water itself and the riverbanks. The South Orange jitney was also available to take people to clean up the river near 3rd Street.

River Day also featured live music and the chance to visit several tables from local environmental organizations, like Java Compost, and to see science projects focusing on the river from South Orange Middle School 7th graders.

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Other River Day activities included a bird walk led by Bill Haskins, Chair of the South Orange Environmental Commission.

South Orange resident Catherine Fisher, who owns the local clothing store Sadie’s, worked with United By Blue to provide packets which included gloves and garbage bags for use by the volunteers cleaning up the river.

United by Blue, which sales sustainable apparel and accessories, focuses on cleaning the waterways by taking one pound of trash out of the waterways with each purchase, and to date has removed over one million pounds of trash.

Fisher shared that she was glad to support River Day. “It’s a great community event focusing on awareness of how much trash and plastics end up the our waterways,” said Fisher. “Each year that we do this event more people change their behaviors and we get more people involved in helping to change our habits for the better!”

Volunteers removing trash from the river found lots of plastic bottles, as well as cardboard boxes, food packages, and paper cups. One volunteer shared that he found a baseball and a golf ball; another found a folding camp chair. 

Organizers thanked all for participating on the South Orange River Day & Green Team Facebook page, sharing, “We thank everyone involved in River Day 2018 for another successful event. Thanks to all of you our world is little bit cleaner, more aware, and brighter!”

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