WESTFIELD-For area residents who care about the health of the Westfield River watershed – and its inhabitants – an opportunity to help with cleanup efforts is planned Sept. 24, sponsored by the Westfield River Watershed Association.
“The association sponsors cleanup events in conjunction with the Connecticut River Watershed Council’s annual Source-to-Sea Cleanup along the Connecticut River,” said Bill Rose, president of the association.
Nancy Bobskill, Bill Rose and Sheryl Becker will be among the volunteers along the Westfield River cleaning up trash on Sept. 24. On Friday morning, the team discovered trash scattered close to the river at Pynchon Point in Agawam, one of the key areas to be cleaned.
On Friday morning, Rose and two dedicated volunteers were scoping out a section of where the Connecticut River and Westfield River merge – at Pynchon Point off River Road in Agawam – to see how much trash was readily visible. Unfortunately, trash was littered at every step – including well into the riverbed.
“In past years we have uncovered car batteries, bottles of acid, paint, exercise bikes, tarps, car fenders and rusted chairs,” said Rose. “We also discovered that someone must have remodeled their bathroom and dropped off the old remnants over the side of the river bank.”
In addition to these toxic items, Rose noted that tires remain a constant of the debris pulled from the river.
“We can expect to pull at least one-half to a ton of trash from the river during the cleanup,” said Rose.
In addition to Pynchon Point, volunteers are also needed in Westfield and will meet at the Westfield Gas & Electric substation just east of the south end of the Great River Bridge off Meadow Street. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and organizers are targeting sites in Westfield, Russell, Huntington, West Springfield and Agawam.
“We will provide gloves and 35-gallon industrial trash bags as well as pails for volunteers who will be sent out in small groups to different sites along the river or its tributaries,” said Rose, adding that volunteers should wear old clothing.
Everyone is welcome to participate, but children must be supervised by an adult.
Rose added that because of low water levels on the river this fall, volunteers may be able to remove some items in the riverbed that haven’t been accessible in other years.
“We are currently nine inches below the level of rain needed in our area,” said Rose.
Mark Damon is coordinating the logistics in the Westfield area and has been scouting out sites that are in need of the most cleanup. Damon also prioritizes how much trash is at each site, and then contacts city or state officials involved in picking up the trash after it has been bagged.
Trash could be found at every turn at Pynchon Point in Agawam on Friday morning. The area will be among the locations along the Westfield River to be cleaned up by volunteers on Sept 24.
“It’s the volunteers who do most of the heroic hard work,” said Damon. “I also help out at one of the sites after the groups have started.”
Damon encouraged area residents to consider volunteering during this half-day cleanup.
“This is a chance to get out and actively do something for the environment,” said Damon. “It’s gratifying for anyone who cares about environmental issues to get involved, and for many of our younger volunteers, this may be their first participation in a lifelong endeavor.”
Damon said over the years his team in the Westfield area have also pulled out hazardous fluids and used diapers, but more often they are pulling out plastics, nylon, or other materials that present a longer-term hazard to wildlife.
“Animals might eat these materials or get entangled in them,” said Damon.
Nancy Bobskill, one of the volunteers for the Agawam area, echoed those sentiments.
“It’s unfair to the fish and animals that this trash comes to them because it could be prevented,” said Bobskill. “Our association is also encouraging a zero waste lifestyle and we encourage people to visit on Facebook Helgazerowaste for ways to help the environment.”
For Sheryl Becker, also a volunteer in the Agawam area and a member of the town’s Conservation Commission, she understands the value of the wetlands area that needs to be protected.
“There are tires all over the place and we are seeing more with the low water level,” said Becker. “We need to educate people on how our trash can affect the globe and in particular, the people who rely on the water for their livelihoods.”
For persons interested in the Westfield area cleanup, contact Damon at (413) 572-9991 or via email to [email protected], or for the Agawam area, contact Becker at (413) 374-1921 or via email to [email protected].
“Volunteering is also a great chance to get out on our beautiful river and at the end of the day, to look at a job well-done and realize that you made a difference,” said Damon.
Bobskill concurred.
“When we conduct our cleanups we observe the kids who want to be involved and you can tell they are enjoying themselves,” said Bobskill. “The instant gratification of making a difference changes them.”
