SPRING CLEANUP: Getting parks, waterways, shared roadways, and public lands ready for the warmer months involves armies of volunteers. At a recent cleanup in Princeton sponsored by The Watershed Institute, these helpers carried away bags of trash.

By Anne Levin

It can be shocking, in early spring, to see how much trash and debris has accumulated in parks, streams, and natural settings. Clearing it all out requires a community effort.

That’s where volunteers come in. Administrators of several parks and waterways throughout the local area are hoping that, as in previous years, plenty of people will turn out in coming weeks to help get these areas into shape.

“Stream cleanups are community action made visible,” said Jim Waltman, executive director of The Watershed Institute in Pennington. “Cleanups contribute to cleaner streams, improved habitat for fish and wildlife, better appearance for our streams and other local waterways, and can help address local flooding issues. Trash and litter harm water and wildlife. We are so grateful for our volunteers who have been part of the solution for 16 years.”

The Watershed Institute sponsors stream cleanups on Saturday, April 9 and 23; and Sunday, April 24, at 10 different municipalities including Hilltop Park, 782 Bunn Drive; Montgomery Veterans’ Park, Memorial Park in Highstown, Etra Lake Park in East Windsor, Village Park in Cranbury, Colonial Lake Park and Lawrence Nature Center in Lawrence, and the municipal buildings in Millstone and Plainsboro. The organization also holds virtual cleanups. Visit thewatershed.org to register.

Saturday, April 9 is Spring Cleanup Day at Princeton Battlefield State Park, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Volunteers can use gloves and tools that are provided, but bring your own if you have them. Water and snacks will be provided. Register at Pbs.1777.org.

Friends of Princeton Open Space has just begun its spring clean-up sessions at the 18-acre forest restoration project site in the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Volunteers are helping to protect the nearly 8,000 native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers
recently planted at the site.

Upcoming sessions are Friday, March 25 from 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday, March 30 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.; and Saturday, April 2 from 1-4 p.m. Sign up at Fopos.org.

Saturday, April 23 is Earth Day, and Kingston Greenways is celebrating with two cleanup sessions at neighborhood streets, roadways, and public areas. The organization provides grabbers, gloves, orange vests, and garbage bags. Participants are advised to wear sturdy boots and clothing.

A morning session from 9-11 a.m. will focus on Laurel Avenue and the vicinity of the Rockingham Historic Site, from just above the village of Kingston to Route 518. Meet at the Rockingham parking lot, 84 Laurel Avenue. The afternoon session, from 2-4 p.m., involves trash collection in the Mapleton Preserve, Cook Natural Area, and sites adjacent to Mapleton Road, Division Street, Heathcote Road, Ridge Road, Greenwood Avenue, and Railroad Avenue. Park along Railroad Avenue off Ridge Road. Visit kingstongreenways.org for information.

“The cleanups are a fun way to get people out — learning about their streams and watersheds while also seeing the seriousness of the trash problem in all communities,” said Olivia Spildooren, river-friendly coordinator at The Watershed Institute. “We hope that the cleanups get people thinking about how their actions on the environment affect not only themselves but also others downstream.”