The town’s Environmental Department held a number of events in April to mark Arbor Day and Earth Day as it continues to maintain the environment.
Two cleanup days brought together more than 70 participants. The first, at Mill Creek Point, was followed by one at Mill Creek Marsh Trail. Volunteers hauled away several bags of Styrofoam, plastic bags, beverage bottles, tires, car parts, and a large plastic trunk.
“We had an amazing turnout at both cleanup sessions,” Environmental Coordinator Jennifer Schneider said in the town’s May newsletter. “It was a great group of enthusiastic volunteers to work with! I hope people are more aware of what and where they are discarding litter, because what is left on land will end up polluting our waterways through stormwater runoff. Hopefully one day we will not have to organize cleanups, but until then, if a group is interested in volunteering to keep Secaucus beautiful and clean, please call us, and we’ll be more than happy to coordinate it.”
As part of the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle program, the Environmental Department collaborated with GreenDrop, which raises funds through the collection of donated clothing and household items. The town arranged for GreenDrop to pick up items left over from the garage sale.
About half a truckload of items were donated by residents. Proceeds will benefit The Purple Heart Foundation. For more information, go to GoGreenDrop.com or call 888-944-3767.
Trees, please
The Environmental Department in conjunction with Harmon Cove Recreation Association also celebrated Arbor Day. Young participants planted trees, sunflowers and milkweed, and learned about the importance of trees and pollinator plants to the environment.
The Annual Arbor Day celebration, along with the Secaucus School District, was held on May 7. Public Works staff will planted a few new trees with students outside both elementary schools ahead of the celebration.
At the event, winners of the annual Arbor Day Poster contest were announced. This year marks Secaucus’s 28th year as a Tree City USA.
For more information, visit secaucusnj.gov/trees. Visit the town’s new Environmental Department website for information about recycling, open space, environmental programs, and more at green.secaucusnj.gov. For more information, call 201-864-7336 or email environmental@secaucus.net.
As part of its ongoing effort to be more environmentally friendly, the town has been reminding residents of the proper way to recycle under the “Recycle Right” program. In 2020, the town updated its recycling policies to impose fines on residents for failure to recycle properly after multiple warnings.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
