On Saturday, April 18, 2009 citizens all over town were out in force picking up roadside litter and sprucing up the town. There were volunteers cleaning Route 236, Old Fields Road, Bennett Lot Road, Belle Marsh Road, Waterside Lane, Highland Ave. and other areas around town. Here are pictures of some of the workers.
Volunteers strategize about how to team up to clean up Route 236.
The amount of debris along Route 236 was truly amazing, from the thousands of cigarette butts, hundreds of plastic bags, to household furniture. Volunteers worked for nearly four hours and bagged loads and loads of trash.
We brought trash by the truckload to the transfer station.
Many truckloads.
and carloads.
Although trash was concentrated along the side of the road, a short walk away from the road shows how plastic bags and bits of litter make their way to wetlands.
The Earth Day dumpster at the transfer station: Left: by noon on Saturday. Right: by the end of the day. Thanks to all the volunteers all over town who took all this trash off our roadsides and to the Town's Conservation Commission for organizing the clean up effort.
At Old Fields Burying Ground, another team of volunteers, led by Bruce Whitney, was attacking another major challenge. A hardy group, many of whom are members of Old Berwick Historical Society, worked on leaves, tree debris, tree cutting and walking bridge rehab at the Burying Ground.
Bruce Whitney organizes the volunteers.
Volunteers of all ages helped clean up this beautiful site.
Lots and lots of leaves had to be raked.
The group filled a giant dumpster with debris.
Another load into the dumpster.
This was no small job. Thanks to all the volunteers for helping to maintain this historic site and peaceful park-like place.
Bouquet of thanks to Pat Robinson, the Conservation Committee and the 50 or more volunteers who worked on cleaning the roads of South Berwick. I was out of state at a conference so could not join you this year but plan to rejoin the group next time, as well as to continue cleaning the roads where I live as I walk or bike.