Nut Swamp Sunnyside Cleanup II 3/24/13

 The site was a large 30 ft. ravine bordered by the Nut Swamp Brook and the Sunnyside Equestrian Area. 

 Debris included farm and house materials, bottles, tires, batteries, pipes, car parts, plastic, etc.

             Trash was deeply imbedded in the cliff wall.

                 A large battery, possibly for a tractor

 The steepness of the ravine made for some challenging work.

                  Volunteers had to cling to the the vertical slope to get to the debris.

                              

    John Minton and the tired crew.  Too much for one haul.  Metal items left behind will be removed during the week.  A final cleanup will be scheduled to pull out cast iron mechanical items weighing several hundred pounts each.

                             Nut Swamp Brook - one of the watershed's beautiful but hard to see streams

                               The horses were pleased to see us.

Nut Swamp Brook Cleanup II set for Sunday 3/24 noon till 3pm

NSRG and Monmouth Clean Communties with the cooperation of the Monmouth County Park System will be at the Sunnyside Equestrian Center in Middletown this Sunday 3/24 from noon till 3 pm removing large and small debris from the Nut Swamp Brook.  We will meet in the parking lot for the Equestrian Center which is on the east side of Middletown-Lincroft Road just south of the GSP overpass in Middletown.

First sign of spring in the watershed

Skunk cabbage, perhaps the first harbinger of spring, pokes through the snow in boggy places all over the Navesink watershed every February.  These plants are adapted to cold conditions and have one of the longest growing seasons of the native perrenials.  The small purplish leathery swirl will transform into the familar large green fan-shaped leafed plant of the boggy of the forest and shaded stream peripheries.  The plants in this picture were photographed near the Nut Swamp Brook on February 17, 2013.

Nut Swamp Brook Cleanup (Sunnyside Rec Area)

After two snowed out tries the Nut Swamp Brook cleanup Phase One finally took place on February 17, 2013.  Thanks to the Monmouth County Park System for permitting us to hold the event at the Sunnyside Recreation Area and thanks to the Park Service's volunteer coordinator Melissa Kelly for getting the word out.  As always special thanks to Monmouth Clean Communities and John Minton for providing bags, equipment and for hauling the collected debris away.

All toll an estimated 1,500 lbs. of debris including many big tires and over 100 lbs. of dangerous to handle smashed window glass were removed.  Our volunteers were Cory Pasmowitz, Sue Pasmowitz, Josephine Gruber, Bill Murphy, Gerry Lingner, Chris Creighton, Jose Villagran, Renie Low, Sam Sugarman and Bonnie Sugarman.  THANK YOU ALL!!

                                             Happiness is a clean park and a clean watershed!

                                          It took 58 cleanups to find our first motorcycle!

                                          Window glass is particularly difficult to collect safely

                                         The family that cleans together......

                                            The fruits of three hours of hard work.

 

NSRG Plans Nut Swamp Creek Cleanup Feb 3

Thompson Park Reservoir Loop Oct. 7, 2012

It rained a bit, but our cleanup was a success.  Trash removed was either from the old farm days, or bottles, tires and other items that floated up from the reservoir.  It's great to know that we won't be drinking these old tires as they degrade - thanks Laura Bagwell and Jeff King.  Volunteer Jim Gault found the kitchen sink too.  The Park Rangers were very accommodating and even hauled back some items in their truck.  Of course John Minton from Monmouth County Clean Communities was there with cleaning supplies and to properly dispose of the estimated 750 lbs. of trash. 

Next Cleanup Oct. 7 at Thompson Park