Somerset County Vo-Tech Students Join Cleanup, Reuse Efforts In Spring Projects

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Students in the Environmental Club at Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School spent the spring working on projects aimed at reducing waste and improving local communities, from stream and beach cleanups to a clothing drive and an event for seniors in Bridgewater.

Earlier this spring, club members took part in the annual Stream Cleanup sponsored by the Raritan Headwaters Association. Students joined close to 1000 volunteers who cleaned waterways in Somerset, Morris and Hunterdon counties by picking up trash. According to the school-provided account, what volunteers collected was categorized to provide data that will be used to drive environmental policy locally and at the state level, and then disposed of.

The club also sponsored a Spring Clothing Drive and Free Thrift Shop at the school, putting the idea of reduce, reuse and recycle into practice. Members of the SCVTHS community donated gently used clothing after cleaning out their closets. Club members sorted the donations and set up the shop so students and staff could browse and take home clothing, and the remaining items were donated to the Vietnam Veterans of America.

The Environmental Club also teamed up with the SCVTHS Rotary Interact Club for a beach sweep at Cedar Street Beach along Keyport’s shoreline. Students walked the beach collecting trash and other debris. During that effort, Dr. Jun Cheng, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences at Kean University, spoke with students about dune ecology.

“Students examined different types of vegetation on the dunes, including American dune grass, a native plant, and Asiatic sand sedge, an invasive species, and discussed their differences in terms of height, sand-trapping ability, and their role in dune enhancement,” said Dr. Cheng.

Closer to home, Environmental Club members joined students in the SCVTHS Culinary Arts program to host the Bridgewater Senior Citizens Club for an afternoon tea at the school’s TradeWins restaurant. Environmental Club students made decorations from recycled materials and gave a presentation on sustainability in tea production and how to identify fair-trade products.

Other SCVTHS programs also contributed to that event. Theater Arts student Ella Ianniello and HVAC student Daniel Langon provided musical entertainment, and students in the Agricultural Science program supplied plants for the centerpieces.

Taken together, the projects connected cleanup work, reuse efforts and community outreach at the school this spring.

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