OK, so duck races are kind of cute, but is this really necessary? I was at the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge on May 10 for a paddle. On the bridge was a huge box of rubber ducks they were going to pour into the river.
http://www.harvardpress.com/CurrentEvents/tabid/146/Default.aspx
Thankfully they were conscientious and (We think) collected all the ducks they threw in the river (We checked). This behavior does explain why I do find so many ducks - or trash, one might say.
Now, after looking for the organizers, I found the next batch to be introduced to the river: http://www.fitchburgpride.com/news/2007/0608/Front_Page/003.html.
Somehow I doubt the city of Fitchburg is going to be that conscientious and will continue to demonstrate to their citizens that it's OK to throw trash in the river. Nice job, Lisa Wong, Mayor of Fitchburg - the "City by the River" Why not just have your citizens bring their old propane tanks and tires down to the river? Oh yeah, they do that already.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Nashua River - Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge
Today was the first day of the new year I'd paddled downstream from the Still River Depot in Harvard, MA. The weather was kind of cool and damp, but otherwise a good day for a paddle.
Each spring the first trip on any stretch of river is full of surprises. I'm no rookie, I know there is going to be new trash all the time, and the high waters of spring make it easy for debris to wash in, or move downstream.
I was paddling down river, picking up a few pieces here and there, nothing too bad, but all the while, in the back of my head, I was thinking "where's the mess?" Then I found it. I really couldn't believe it. There were several very large logjams just on the south side of Rt. 2. One has 3 (more) tires, and loads of trash, another had another tire and a propane tank. I loaded up a tire and one of the tanks, along with an empty 5gal. pail of hydraulic fluid and headed back.
I know it's not that bad, certainly not compared to what it was, but finding all that new debris is discouraging at some level. Ah well, work for another day...
Each spring the first trip on any stretch of river is full of surprises. I'm no rookie, I know there is going to be new trash all the time, and the high waters of spring make it easy for debris to wash in, or move downstream.
I was paddling down river, picking up a few pieces here and there, nothing too bad, but all the while, in the back of my head, I was thinking "where's the mess?" Then I found it. I really couldn't believe it. There were several very large logjams just on the south side of Rt. 2. One has 3 (more) tires, and loads of trash, another had another tire and a propane tank. I loaded up a tire and one of the tanks, along with an empty 5gal. pail of hydraulic fluid and headed back.
I know it's not that bad, certainly not compared to what it was, but finding all that new debris is discouraging at some level. Ah well, work for another day...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Earth Day 2008 Cleanup
What would Earth Day be without a blog post? This weekend I had the pleasure of paddling down the Nashua River with a couple of friends. We did find a fair amount of new trash, but it wasn't that bad. I grabbed a bag of trash and a tire and my buddy Dennis also grabbed a bag of trash.
For Earth Day, I took someone special out for her first paddle. The Squannacook River makes a great first paddle, and I think she's hooked. She also got a chance to see me in my element, cleaning up what little trash there is in the Squannacook.
But the day wasn't over - on Earth Day I do tend to want to do something on terra firma, so we grabbed my wheelbarrow and cleaned up my street - well about 1/4 mile of it or so. It's kind of funny in a way... for all the drunk driving laws, virtually all the roadside trash you find is empty beer cans, nip bottles, and even small bottles of stuff like Vodka. We found about 6 Smirnoff Vodka bottles all about the same size, all on the same side of the road. So it seems someone polishes off one of these on a regular basis - possibly on their way home - and throws it out the window in the same spot. ah well.
Happy Earth Day everyone!
For Earth Day, I took someone special out for her first paddle. The Squannacook River makes a great first paddle, and I think she's hooked. She also got a chance to see me in my element, cleaning up what little trash there is in the Squannacook.
But the day wasn't over - on Earth Day I do tend to want to do something on terra firma, so we grabbed my wheelbarrow and cleaned up my street - well about 1/4 mile of it or so. It's kind of funny in a way... for all the drunk driving laws, virtually all the roadside trash you find is empty beer cans, nip bottles, and even small bottles of stuff like Vodka. We found about 6 Smirnoff Vodka bottles all about the same size, all on the same side of the road. So it seems someone polishes off one of these on a regular basis - possibly on their way home - and throws it out the window in the same spot. ah well.
Happy Earth Day everyone!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Westford Electronics Recycling
Westford will be holding its Spring electronics recycling event at the Blanchard School, 14 West Street in Westford from 8 am to 2 pm this Saturday, April 5.
You can get directions by Googling 14 West Street in Westford or The Blanchard Middle School in Westford. There are fees involved and this is a cash only event.
The rate sheet for recycling electronic items can be found at http://www.westfordrecycles.org by clicking on Electronics Collection under Upcoming Events.
You can get directions by Googling 14 West Street in Westford or The Blanchard Middle School in Westford. There are fees involved and this is a cash only event.
The rate sheet for recycling electronic items can be found at http://www.westfordrecycles.org by clicking on Electronics Collection under Upcoming Events.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Nashua River - Pepperell
Early each spring I make it a point to check out my favorite spots to see what the changes were over the winter. Typically the spring melt changes the landscape somewhat - new blowdowns, old blowdowns washed away, and of course, checking on the status of ne trash.
Today I went in at the Nashua River in Pepperell at Rt. 119. It's an easy place to get in and out of. I went upstream to just about Rt. 225. I dodn't find too much new debris - I did collect about a basket full including a 1-gallon container of Coleman Fuel - I hope it was empty when it did find the river. All-in-all though, the river was in good shape.
Today I went in at the Nashua River in Pepperell at Rt. 119. It's an easy place to get in and out of. I went upstream to just about Rt. 225. I dodn't find too much new debris - I did collect about a basket full including a 1-gallon container of Coleman Fuel - I hope it was empty when it did find the river. All-in-all though, the river was in good shape.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Squannacook River
I finally got a chance to get back out on the river - it's so good for my head. I went to the Squannacook River in West Groton. The ice was up to the boat launch so I portaged through the woods a ways and threw in.
The current was strong and was a pretty good paddle after a couple of months off. There were some new blowdowns, particularly one just below the Bertozzi rapids. I might have been able to get over it, but really didn't want to risk swamping in the icy water.
There wasn't much trash either, I did a pretty good job and only came away with a basket full - and nothing too nasty either, mostly Dunkin Donuts cups and water or beer bottles.
The current was strong and was a pretty good paddle after a couple of months off. There were some new blowdowns, particularly one just below the Bertozzi rapids. I might have been able to get over it, but really didn't want to risk swamping in the icy water.
There wasn't much trash either, I did a pretty good job and only came away with a basket full - and nothing too nasty either, mostly Dunkin Donuts cups and water or beer bottles.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Project or Process?
When I began cleaning up the Nashua River, I pretty much considered it a project. You know... finish this, move on. But really it's become much more than that for me.
Think about your daily life. You do the laundry, take out the trash, etc. Sure some stuff seems like a project, but it's really a process built around taking care of your loved ones.
The river's kind of like that for me. Sure there are selfish reasons for doing what I do - I like to kayak in pretty places, not dumps. But the other side is that I know somehow I'm part of something bigger, and having a positive effect, not a negative one.
So it's that process of change that drives me. I know that no matter how good of a job I do, there will be more to do. So it's a process. I'm not going to be able to stop people from being careless or destructive, but I can do 2 things: 1. accept that I can't change the way other people are; and 2. Minimize the negative impact.
In that way, it's a process for me not only to improve the environment, but also for personal growth.
Think about your daily life. You do the laundry, take out the trash, etc. Sure some stuff seems like a project, but it's really a process built around taking care of your loved ones.
The river's kind of like that for me. Sure there are selfish reasons for doing what I do - I like to kayak in pretty places, not dumps. But the other side is that I know somehow I'm part of something bigger, and having a positive effect, not a negative one.
So it's that process of change that drives me. I know that no matter how good of a job I do, there will be more to do. So it's a process. I'm not going to be able to stop people from being careless or destructive, but I can do 2 things: 1. accept that I can't change the way other people are; and 2. Minimize the negative impact.
In that way, it's a process for me not only to improve the environment, but also for personal growth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
