Hundreds Of Volunteers Help Remove Over 3 Tons Of Trash From Delaware River

Funded through the support of the PA Environmental Council’s Community Illegal Dumpsite Program, the National Park Service, Kittatinny Canoes, and local partners hosted hundreds of volunteers for the “On and Under the Delaware River Clean-Up” last month.

Held from July 18-19, a combined 204 volunteers and NPS employees teamed up to remove over 3.33 tons of trash and over 86 tires covering a 70-mile stretch of the Upper and Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

To date, NPS employees and volunteers have removed more than 450 tons of trash from the Delaware River including 8,881 tires and 8,695 pounds of aluminum cans.

In its 27th year sponsoring the event, Milford-based Kittatinny Canoes — the oldest and largest canoe livery operator in the country — once again provided breakfast, dinner, canoes, life jackets, transportation, and T-shirts to all the volunteers.

Each morning volunteers signed in and enjoyed a hot breakfast, while safety instructions were given and groups were formed before boarding buses to a designated area where canoes were waiting to be launched.

Upon arrival at the boat launches, volunteers put on life jackets before setting out in canoes paddling in eight-to-10 mile sections of the river picking up trash from the islands, shoreline, and the bottom of the river.

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