MARSH CLEANUP – SEPT. 18, 8 A.M.
August 25, 2010
Bell Streeters and anyone else interested in helping the earth are invited to take part in the fall cleanup at the salt marsh we’ve adopted on the Providence waterfront. This year’s fall cleanup is scheduled Saturday, Sept. 18. As usual, we will affiliate our fall event with the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) coordinated in Rhode Island by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island and internationally by the Ocean Conservancy. However, ours will be held a week earlier than the international event, because local tides will make our beach inaccessible that morning. Nonetheless, since our cleanup will be open to the public and publicized, we are likely to be joined by a number of guests.
We will meet directly at the marsh, which is located off Allens Ave at the end of Oxford Street. Please contact Meredyth Waterman at MeredythW@aol.com or (401) 451-2322 to sign up. Please provide your name, phone number, e-mail address and T-shirt size, since Audubon usually provides volunteers with T-shirts during the fall cleanup.
Thanks to Save the Bay, we have plenty of garbage bags and plastic gloves. We also have some work gloves and a few rakes and shovels, but you are encouraged to bring your own if you want them. Please wear sturdy shoes or boots. Sunblock and hats are also advised. Only if it rains very heavily will this event be rescheduled to Oct. 2 at 8 a.m..
We usually wander across the street after our cleanup for a satisfying breakfast at the Seaplane Diner, so bring a few dollars if you are interested.
Unlike our spring cleanup, at our fall cleanup we document every piece of litter we find as part of a worldwide effort to monitor pollution of our shores and whether it’s improving. It’s often amazing what we find. And along that vein, our cleanup always features the popular Bell Street Biohazard Contest, which arguably makes otherwise unsavory discoveries a treat. Nonetheless, please do not bring young children or pets to this event due to the dangerous nature of the rocks and the items we find.
Please join us for this fun morning of helping the earth.
~Meredyth Waterman