‘Cleanup Hike’ Coming To Eagle Rock Reservation In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

In advance of Earth Day, the League of Women Voters (LWV) will reboot its successful monthly hiking series, “We Love Eagle Rock Reservation,” with its first offering for 2023 on Saturday, April 8.

Last year, the reaction of the community to the six, monthly hikes organized by the Environmental Committee of the League of Women Voters was very positive with strong participation throughout the series. This year’s hikes run from April through October. Each hike will be tagged with its own theme and goal, including “indigenous plant species identification,” “reporting on needed repairs for the reservation” and others.

This year’s initial hike will be a general cleanup of the trails of Eagle Rock Reservation, preparing the Park for the beginning of its busy spring/summer/fall season when use of the park is most significant.

The cleanup hike will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday April 8, 2023. The group will muster at the 9/11 Memorial. Leading the group will be Ron Pate, a LWV board member and one of the founders of the Eagle Rock Reservation Conservancy. Ron is a seasoned and award-winning trails expert.

The Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs will provide trash bags and gloves for participants. It is suggested that participants wear hiking shoes, and bring their own recyclable or re-useable water bottles.

Though long known for effective service to the community in the field of politics and elections, the Montclair Area League is equally involved in environmental issues affecting the region. Environmental action by the LWV is not new. League members were vital participants in the establishment of glass recycling in Montclair, the first such program in the state of New Jersey.

Please contact Ron Pate at EagleRockConservancy@gmail.com to register for the event or to ask any questions you may have, or just show up at 10 a.m. on April 8 to take part in this inaugural event.

This is a wonderful opportunity for families and friends to share a day outdoors and contribute in a small but meaningful way to slow the ticking clock that tracks our environmental challenges. Why not join in on the fun? Email us at LWV.Montclair.Eco@gmail.com to learn more about our environmental activities.

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