On June 19, 2021, the Upper Delaware River Basin Citzens (UDRBC) held its second annual river cleanup. Volunteers gathered at Lander’s Campground in Narrowsburg, NY, on Saturday morning to register. Each received a “Sweep the Delaware” T-shirt before boarding a bus to be shuttled to Milanville where they procured rafts and headed back downriver to Narrowsburg. Conditions were perfect with temperatures in the 80s on a clear, slow moving river. Some “refuse recruits” took to the PA side of the river while others the NY side to scavenge for any garbage that had made its way to the banks or bottom. Several tires, a car battery, and even cell phones were recovered from their watery grave.
While twenty-two workers were on the river, additional volunteers remained at Narrowsburg to prepare a BBQ for when they returned. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, soda, and salads, donated by Ned Lang of EnviroVentures and President of UDRBC, awaited the hungry travelers upon their arrival back at Lander’s Campground.
At the conclusion of the picnic, a raffle was held with gifts or certificates from the Dairy Twist in Hawley, Jen Rutledge Materials, Cochecton Mills, Rich Paparella Barbershop, Scarfalotto’s Towne House Restaurant, Ghiggeri’s Fine Olive Oils and Balsamics, Universal Hair Design, Tom Galloway’s Body Shop, Rutledgedale Point Farm, and Rutherford Surveying. The UDRBC Board of Directors donated a youth kayak and a personal flotation device. Damascus Manor/Abrahamsville United Methodist Church was the only large group in attendance and was awarded $150 for its group of ten volunteers.
Many thanks go to Rick Lander for helping UDRBC coordinate the event by supplying transportation, watercraft, and bottled water to the group and for disposing of the trash and recyclables removed from the river. Special thanks go to Ned Sader for being the chief cook, to area businesses for their generous support, and to all the volunteers who gave of their time and energy to make the river cleanup a “sweeping” success.
