From the Village of South Orange:
South Orange is devoted! The weather did not cooperate with us for RiverDay 2016 bringing cold temperatures and constant rain throughout May 1st. We had to scrap plans for music and seriously scale back the number of exhibitors due to a lack of weather-proof cover.
But that did not dampen the spirit of the Green Team and the intrepid volunteers who enthusiastically weighed in to clean up despite adverse conditions. By the end of the day, this small group of 100 committed volunteers had filled two truckloads with trash pulled from the river. Though relatively small in number this group covered the entire South Orange section of the Rahway River removing not only the usual cans, plastic bottles and bags, but also a computer motherboard, training wheels, a cell phone, a large oil can, and headphones!
Parents, children, local boy and girl scouts, Seton Hall University students and South Orange Middle School students all teamed up to tame the trash and learn more about the watershed. Dan Lipow’s Wild Edibles river walk is always a popular and this year walkers could also learn more about that history and eco system of the river using an augmented reality app developed by students from Seton Hall. Attendees also learned about native plants from Toadshade Wildflower Farm, bees and honey from Jersey Buzz, and river ecology from South Orange Middle School 7th grade scientists.
None of this would be possible without the coordination and help of many, many people. The Environmental Commission and Green Team want to express our sincere thanks to all of the exhibitors, the 7th grade science classes of South Orange Middle School, the Recreation Department, Public Works Department, Parking Authority. Without their help this day would not have run so smoothly or been so successful. We also want to thank those who donated and contributed prizes and food: SOPAC, Stop & Shop, Trader Joe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, and ShopRite. Most importantly we want to thank the people of South Orange who turned out to share this day. Thank you South Orange!
