Students Determined To Clean Up

 The Banks Of The Pootatuck

By Kendra Bobowick

Among the woodland views along the Pootatuck River that is frequented by anglers and hikers are elements out of place in the rustic landscape. Tangling the laces of hiking boots and cluttering the walkways and banks traveled by fishermen is discarded trash.

According to high school students Gabe Klaff and Camille Gillotti, the mess is accumulating.

“There is so much…and no one feels bad about it,” Camille said. Guessing at the thoughts of those who choose to drop things on the ground, she said, “What’s one more cup? It’s just getting worse.” Camille describes the scene with frustration. “It’s hard to even get to the river, it’s like walking down Legos, it’s all plastic and debris,” she said.

Gabe agrees, noting that he came to the rural portion of the Pootatuck along Glen Road to find trash and debris in his path.

Combining his personal interest to clean up the riverside with a school advocacy project, he intends to make the Pootatuck’s banks a neater place for residents out for recreation. “I decided to combine the cleanup with the project to get something accomplished here,” he said. On June 2 he will be at work along the riverbanks.

He had contacted Newtown Conservation Official Rob Sibley for suggestions.

“This sounds like a great project,” Mr Sibley had said. He whole-heartedly supports the cleanup, saying that “from the mill site down is persistent debris from manufacturing for decades.” Although the material is not producing contamination, leftover manufacturing materials have been washing down the river for years, Mr Sibley said. Also adding to the litter are old tires, and possibly a rotting car frame. “So, it’s not just day-to-day trash,” Mr Sibley said.

He is also aware that little effort has been made to clean the often-cumbersome riverbanks. “It’s difficult to reach and steep, so if things are thrown [along the river] no one is going to see it and it will sit,” he said. He also imagines that debris accumulated during the time that bridges carried traffic across the Pootatuck from Glen Road.

Mr Sibley again stressed his support saying, “This is a great volunteer effort.”