Annual Stony Creek Clean-Up Draws a Crowd

In a society now dominated by Facebook, iPhones and computers, it’s easy to forget about the nature that has been placed all around us.

Luckily for the citizens of Norristown, the Stony Creek Anglers refuse to let people forget.

On Saturday, the Anglers, a local nonprofit group responsible for improving the quality of the Stony Creek for fishing and recreational activities (among many other things), led the 25th annual memorial clean up of the creek in .

Despite unseasonally brisk temperatures, approximately 100 volunteers showed up to help clean up debris and litter that had accumulated on trails and the creek banks over the course of the past year. The group included the Anglers, members of Norristown Council 1st District, volunteers from youth groups such as the Greater Norristown Police Athletic League and Boy and Girl Scouts and ordinary community members who came out to help preserve a natural habitat.

The group spent about three hours in the morning cleaning the creek, piling up enough refuse to fill a 20-foot dumpster. After lunch, those who were still present helped to stock the creek with roughly 2,200 trout, which the Anglers raise in their own co-operative trout nursery (located within the park). The nursery is the first of its kind in Montgomery County.

“For me, I come out to help because I live here and I’m trying to carry on community values my parents instilled in me at a young age,” said Norristown Council's Mimi DeSouza. “Cleaning up the creek shows you that people are willing to litter, but the Anglers organizing an event like this every year also shows there are people that are willing to clean it up. It reminds me that people are like-minded, and they do care about their community.”

The Stony Creek Anglers themselves weren’t formed until 1997, but the annual creek clean up has been going strong since 1976. Anglers president Charles “Chas” Wood has been at the forefront of the clean up in every one of those years, and he was present again bright and early on Saturday morning, shaking hands, forming groups to disperse along the creek and rolling up his sleeves and helping pick up litter himself. Wood’s enthusiasm and energy were palpable even on a chilly March morning, invaluable traits that continue to bring people back to help every year.

“Chas knows the park like the back of his hand, to every stone and tree,” said Angler R.J. LaRue. “His passion for preserving this land is what attracted me to join. Because of his efforts, we can operate the nursery and continue to put trout in the creek for the enjoyment of fishermen, sportsmen and anyone in general who is interested.”

In addition to preserving the creek and operating the nursery, the Anglers also provide an opportunity for residents to learn how to fish by conducting a fishing tournament (The 14th annual tournament takes place April 30 and May 1.), supplementing the trout stocking of Stony Creek and educating people about good sportsmanship and conservation practices.

On this day, it appeared the group had accomplished all of its goals as trout season rapidly approaches.

“These guys put some great trout into the stream, and what they do is great for Norristown,” said local volunteer Kevin Kennedy. “I’m not a fisherman at all, but this is the third year I’ve come out to help. I’ve known a lot of these people for 20 years, and it makes me feel real good to come out and help my community.”

Over the years, the Anglers claim to have pulled massive objects such as cars, refrigerators and freezers out of the creek. Last year, they found a safe on the creek banks, and though they tried valiantly were unable to pry it open.

On Saturday, nothing as significant as a car was recovered, though notable items did include a stuffed Tweety Bird, a parking cone, a construction barrier, a shopping cart from the now defunct Drug Emporium and Wood’s personal favorite—a half of a torn-up $5 bill, which he tucked into his wallet and then pulled out to jokingly show off to many of the volunteers.

“I grew up a half a block from the creek, and we used to trash it when we were kids,” said Wood, whose excitement for the event had him talking a mile-a-minute throughout the day. “To be the guy that’s now in charge of cleaning it up every year, it’s just very special for me and the outpouring from the community warms my heart. People don’t get excited to pick up trash, but they’re still here with their sleeves rolled up willing to get their hands dirty. It’s just good people bonding together.”

What really seemed to unite the volunteers and make members of the Anglers smile was the participation of the community’s youth. Of the 100 or so participants in the creek clean up, nearly half were children of a wide array of ages. The younger ones followed closely at their parents’ heels in helping to pick up trash, while the older kids compiled dozens of trash bags worth of debris.

In a constantly evolving society geared more and more toward technology, many of the elder volunteers spoke glowingly about the children’s enthusiasm in helping to clean the creek.

“To me, it shows that not all kids are sitting in front of the computer or television,” said Joe Gallagher, a member of the Farm Park Preservation Association. “I’ve lived here my entire life, and my four kids all live in Norristown. The Plymouth Meeting and King of Prussia Malls have sucked a lot of commerce out of Norristown, and we’ve had a bit of a hard time. An event like this brings people back together, and the kids’ involvement helps perpetuate the preservation of the creek.”

“It’s great to see them here," added Wood. "Because they’ll be the ones running this thing when I’m gone, and I know they’ll represent us proudly.”

As the volunteers snacked on pizza and sandwiches after their long morning of cleaning up, it was evident that everyone in attendance was leaving with a sense of accomplishment.

“The names on the stores may be different, and some faces that come out are different,” Gallagher said. “But the memories are the same as the ones I made when I was young, and as long as we’ve got those then people will keep coming back.”

For more information on the Stony Creek Anglers, visit www.stonycreekanglers.org.