I took the whole day off because I had such a busy day of volunteer activities! Started the morning (0745) with a workout (45 minutes of swimming, 45 minutes of rowing/biking) at the UVAC in White River Junction. Afterwards, I volunteered (2.5 hours) with the UVAC Facilities Team and helped set up for the September Celebration. When I was done (1200), I went home for a few hours so I could get some food and prep for my afternoon service project. At 1500, I drove over to West Lebanon to set things up. When I arrived to our clean up location (behind Staples on NH-12A), I found Herman was already there and picking up trash! Our West Lebanon Team’s participation in the Connecticut River Conservancy's Annual Source to Sea Cleanup 2022 officially began at 1530. I was ultimately joined by nine conscientious souls who energetically picked up all manner of refuse that lined the edge of the Connecticut River (all the way down to Best Buy). One major source of garbage was an abandoned homeless encampment just a few feet from the water’s edge. We actually didn’t venture down the 10+ foot embankment to the waterline because the recent rains had swollen the River to high levels and currents. Instead, we focused on the deep brush on the top of the cliff, trying to prevent trash from eventually blowing into the water. The team was comprised of friends from the Knights of Columbus, Jesse’s Happy Hour group, Connecticut River Conservancy and the Lebanon Conservation Commission. Everyone filled several bags and made an obvious positive impact in the visual cleanliness of the riverbank. As Team Captain, I was responsible for the Trash Tally; I later determined that we managed to collect almost 400 pounds (in more than 20 bags) in just over two hours. I was amazed at the amount that just a few people could remove in such a short time and was encouraged to hear the others talk about possible future efforts. Afterwards (1800), a few of us (Bruce and Ed) had some drinks and a good meal at Ziggy’s. Stayed until almost 2000 and then headed home. It was great to be part of the multi-state effort to cleanup an important watershed near my home - even a small victory in the battle against pollution makes larger ones seem possible!
