Karen Leigh and Dale Unsderfer examine a lockbox found at Westfield Earth Day 2017.
WESTFIELD – The City of Westfield will celebrate Earth Day this weekend with the sixth annual Westfield Earth Day clean-up on Saturday, April 21. Conservation Commission Coordinator Karen Leigh said more volunteers are needed, and all ages are welcome.
“Unfortunately, we always have more trash than we have volunteers,” said Leigh.
Volunteers are to meet at the Mason’s Lodge (Mount Moriah) at 72 South Broad Street at 8 a.m., where coffee and a light breakfast will be provided. All volunteers will be given trash bags, gloves, safety vests and maps of the different locations.
Once on site, team leaders will coordinate volunteer efforts. Leigh said to dress appropriately. Volunteers working in roadway areas must wear the vests provided. People should watch out for poison ivy and thorns. Also, any dangerous material, such as discarded needles, should be avoided. “If you find one, don’t touch it,” Leigh said, adding that she will note the locations of needles and pick them up.
Full bags will be left at the clean-up sites. Volunteers are then encouraged to return to the Mount Moriah Lodge by 1 p.m. for hot dogs and hamburgers prepared by the Masons.
Rick Epstein on right with Hampton Ponds clean-up crew in 2017.
Besides the Mount Moriah Lodge, who Leigh said has been involved since the first year; sponsors include the Big Y, Home Depot, Butcher Block, Stop & Shop, Virgilio Construction and Mestek. Mike Robertson, President and General Manager of New England Disposal Technologies has agreed to accept up to 500 pounds of household type paints, oils, and gasoline, according to Leigh.
Clean-up sites already identified include Route 20 by the railroad tracks in front of Wal-Mart, Franklin, Orange and Thomas Streets and Ponders Hollow. A few more sites may be added. Leigh said volunteer Rick Epstein has been the clean-up crew leader at Hampton Ponds since the first year of Westfield Earth Day.
One enthusiastic volunteer on Saturday will be Rep. John C. Velis. “I love this day. I love getting dirty for a good cause,” Velis said. He said the other day he was on a social media forum where photos of garbage strewn around a neighborhood had engendered a lot of comments. He said he hopes that people will get involved in the Westfield Earth Day cleanup, or organize their own groups, and do something about it. “This is our community. This is our city. Let’s get out there and make the change we want to see,” Velis added.
Jason Unsderfer holding a garter snake he rescued at Timber Swamp last year.
Leigh said she’s reached out to the schools, and is hoping to have a good contingent of kids show up. She said before coming to Westfield, she was in charge of an annual clean-up day in West Springfield. The first year she did it, a group of half a dozen girl scouts showed up, who sang as they cleaned up.
“It’s not so much to get them cleaning up, but to recognize that they can make a difference,” Leigh said.
The same day, the Westfield River Watershed Association will also be conducting their annual spring river clean-up, meeting at the Great River Bridge at 9 a.m.
If people are unable to participate this Saturday, Leigh said she and Mayor Brian P. Sullivan are encouraging people to do a clean-up on their own.
“This is all of our trash; it doesn’t belong to any one person. This benefits everyone,” Leigh said.
