TCNJ Students Join Val’s Valiants in Clean Up of Columbia Park

Berkeley Heights, NJ - On Sunday, September 16, following an afternoon filled with delicious food and prizes at the Berkeley Heights Vegan Cook-off, students from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) involved in the first year Community Engaged Learning (CEL) program shifted their roles from plating and serving culinary creations to picking up litter in Lower Columbia Park as part of the post-Cook-off Val's Valiants litter clean up, co-sponsored by the Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission.

The clean-up itself was held as part of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council's (NJCCC's) International Coastal Clean Up efforts, due to a stream tributary to the Passaic River running along the back perimeter of the park. The International Coastal Clean Up is a global effort to collect and document the trash littering waterways in effort to clean up and take care of our water resources. According to the NJCCC, the TCNJ students and Val's Valiants joined thousands of volunteers worldwide over the weekend who cleaned rivers, lakes, streams, bays, and beaches.

Armed with a "litter checklist," reinforced gloves, and two bags - one for recyclables and the other for trash - the TCNJ students and other members of Val's Valiants, led by Valerie Daimond, braved the hot and humid weather and broke up into two- and three-person teams. They then proceeded to gather trash located in and around the grassy area near the picnic tables, around the perimeter of the soccer and baseball fields, around the tennis courts and playground area, and along the path adjacent to the stream.

Although the park deceptively appeared to be litter-free at the clean-up's outset, the group removed 23.8 pounds of recyclables and trash, improving the park's "health." The most common items gathered included food and candy wrappers (215), Legos (117), and plastic pieces (55). The most unusual items gathered included markers and crayons, a vending machine cup holder, and two non-related gloves found at separate locations.

For additional information about how to become involved in the International Coastal Cleanup, please visit the NJCCC's website at https://www.njclean.org/our-programs/adopt-a-beach/icc-2018.