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Thorns Creek Clean Up - Saturday, September 25, 2010

On Saturday afternoon, over 15 volunteers from the New York- New Jersey BayKeeper and the Bayshore Watershed Council spent about two hours fishing in the mud and muck along the banks of Thorns Creek in West Keansburg, Hazlet Township, looking for trash. Unfortunately, it didn't take them long to find the first catch of the day - an old car tire. From there it was just one plastic or glass bottle and aluminum can after another.

While many people were spending the first weekend of autumn fishing, boating, bird-watching, and getting in the last days of crabbing, these volunteers from all over the Bayshore region of Monmouth County fanned out in the tidal wetlands to haul out bags and more bags of trash. A ton or two of trash is hard to imagine, but that is what these dedicated people dug out of the mire.

Unfortunately, years of people throwing their waste on the ground  near the tidal wetlands of Thorns Creek and near storm drains in West Keansburg have accumulated a lot of junk and debris. I can never understand why people who throw their trash on the ground can't just hold on to it for a few minutes more until they found a trash-can nearby. Sadly, all of us see nearly every day beer bottles, fast food wrappers, cigarette butts, plastic bottles, and so much all on the side of the road. Why do people have to be such pigs?

What the average resident of West Keansburg doesn't understand is that Thorns Creek is an important environmental area for wildlife. Within several acres of wetlands and water can be found between spring and fall over 20 species of fish, which include Bluefish and flounder, and over 50 species of birds, such as Green Herons, Snowy Egrets, and Belted Kingfishers. Why even a muskrat lives along the creek. 

What's more, an adult Bald Eagle was spotted during the creek clean up.  It was flying slowly over the creek for about a minute or two, then headed westward. Something special must being going on at Thorns Creek to attract a Bald Eagle.  It is one of the various hidden natural gems along the urban bay.


It was wonderful that people came out to help clean up the creek. Among the day's finds were part of a wooden boat, a car tire, shoes, fishing line and gear, and tons of glass bottles, plastic bottles, and styroform.

Certainly, our society can do more to reduce our waste. We can all consume less and choose products with less packaging. We can also make sure police enforce litter laws and help our political leaders craft stronger laws.  The easiest thing, though, is to make sure everyone reduces, re-use and recycle their waste. This will ensure that the nasty effects of long-lasting plastic, metal, and toxins stay out of our parks and green spaces. Future generations and our important waterways deserve no less.


I would like to express a sincere thank you to all the volunteers who helped with the Saturday, September 25th creek cleanup! This time around we had a shortage of volunteers but still managed to help clean up a beautiful area of the Bayshore region. Volunteers showed up and ready to work.

 

Thanks especially to the Amy Testa from the New York - New Jersey BayKeeper for all her help, and thanks to US Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. for showing his support during the day of the clean-up.

 Thanks to everyone for their cooperation to help restore and clean up Thorns Creek in West Keansburg!