Spring Cleaning
Photo courtesy of Ellen Roth
On Saturday, May 1, a team of Athens residents and volunteers set off across the Hudson River to Middle Ground Flats—the island situated directly between Athens and the city of Hudson.
Photo courtesy of Molly Little
As part of Riverkeeper’s 10th annual Riverkeeper Sweep, the participants were tasked with collecting garbage and other refuse that had either washed onto the island’s shore or was left there by boaters or campers. Local organizers Ellen Roth and Merrill Roth—who’s also a member of the Athens Village Conservation Advisory Council—led the volunteers’ efforts.
“What a great day! . . .
We had an enthusiastic flotilla of all different kinds of boats but once we hit the island, we were singularly focused on removing as much trash as possible in the short time that we had.”
— Ellen Roth, Riverkeeper Sweep organizer
“We had an overflow situation on the shuttle boat but luckily our canoe crew came to the rescue and hauled some trash back themselves.”
— Ellen Roth, Riverkeeper Sweep organizer
All in all, 27 bags of trash were collected, as well as an assortment of larger items such as mattresses, tarps, tires, and more.
The Village of Athens and its Department of Public Works also showed their support by donating use of the DPW truck to haul and safely dispose of the Sweep’s results.
Since its inception, Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Hudson River from source to sea and safeguard drinking water supplies, through advocacy rooted in community partnerships, science and law.
Ellen Roth reports that, after such a successful and rewarding day, the group of volunteers has decided to make the Sweep a yearly tradition.