 "Photo: The Daily Targum")
Cold weather could not keep away civic-minded volunteers in their quest to clean up the environment Saturday at the Passion Puddle Cleanup, sponsored by New Jersey Public Interest Research Group Student Chapters Water Watch in conjunction with AmeriCorps.
Students and local residents cleared away the debris littered around the puddle and the stream that connects it to the Raritan River.
“We’re trying to raise awareness about the water quality problems that we have right here at Rutgers and right here in New Jersey,” said event coordinator Sara McClurg, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences sophomore. “The Raritan River is the 12th most polluted river in the nation; it just got bumped up from 14th. It’s really gross. Seventy percent of the waterways in New Jersey are too polluted to use for recreation and fishing, and a lot of people don’t even know that.”
All participants seemed to have two things in common: a passion for the environment and a belief that we each need to take responsibility for improving the situation.
Water Watch intern Dylan Bamrick, a Cook College senior, said the main goal of the event was get students interested in volunteering for cleanups in preparation for a larger cleanup on Earth Day.
“We just want to see who is going to be interested in taking the initiative to clean up around campus, so we can see who wants to be involved and contact them for further cleanups,” Bamrick said.
Several tables were set up around the puddle for all attendees to sign in, to pick up their tools — a garbage bag, latex gloves and work gloves — and two tables where volunteers could pick up a free bagel and juice.
School of Arts and Sciences first-year student Ryan Reed said he is enjoying his first semester as a Water Watch intern with NJPIRG.
“I don’t know if you’ve been around there, but it’s pretty dirty,” Reed said prior to the cleanup. “The puddle doesn’t look that bad, but the stream part is really bad. After today, though, it’s going to be spotless.”
Water Watch intern Dara Zaleski, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences first-year student, organized the free breakfast for all participants. Milltown Bagels of Ryders Lane donated the bagels, and all other supplies came from Shop-Rite.
“I’m pretty happy with the turnout,” Bamrick said. “It’s a little colder than I thought it was going to be, and I was afraid it would keep people away.”
Patrick Mullen, a Cook College junior, is not affiliated with Water Watch but said he volunteered to participate in this event simply for concern about the environment.
“I just felt like it would be a great thing to come out and clean up our campus,” he said. “I’m really passionate about the environment, and I believe more people should be aware that things are happening and people are polluting. We should be cleaning it up.”
The Passion Puddle Cleanup seemed to generate plenty of interest in the upcoming Earth Day Cleanup. Bamrick felt that generating interest in the larger project was one of the main goals of the Passion Puddle Cleanup.
“The Earth Day is going to be a Raritan-wide cleanup,” Bamrick said. “There’s going to be nine different sites. All the campuses will be involved. It’s going to be one united cleanup of the Raritan with a lot of different groups staging their own cleanups at different sites.”
Announcements will be posted around campus regarding the April 18 Earth Day Cleanup.
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