Anyone looking to get dirty to keep Patchogue clean is invited to the Second Annual Patchogue River Cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 30.
The day gets started at 10 a.m., with volunteers reporting to the Patchogue-Watch Hill Ferry Terminal at 150 West Avenue for marching orders.
Supplies will be offered and refreshments will be served. From there the groups, accompanied by a team leader, will fan out to over a dozen different locations around the river.
Last September, more than 100 people showed up to help, including 22 volunteers from St. Joseph’s College and 27 from the Patchogue-Medford High School Key Club.
“Were hoping for even more” volunteers this year, said Kaetlyn Jackson, a park planner with Fire Island National Seashore who has spearheaded the river cleanup efforts. “We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from the [Facebook] event and lots of questions from people looking to join the effort.”
The Village of Patchogue will be transporting all the garbage collected to the nearby Blue Point Brewery at 161 River Avenue to be weighed at 1 p.m.
There’s also going to be an after-party at Blue Point that will feature raffles, music, and educational opportunities. Raffle proceeds are going to the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marin Division to support the Patchogue River.
“They [Cornell] have been doing water quality testing and monitoring of the river, so the proceeds will help them maintain that program,” Jackson said.
For the science students from St. Joseph’s College, their involvement in the cleanup also serves as a biology lesson.
“Students will volunteer their time to help clean up the River and also educate attendees on our local bays and lakes that they study and test on a regular basis,” said Melissa Kuehnle, a St. Joseph’s spokesperson.
“Dr. Konstantine Rountos is a marine biologist from SJC who will be on hand to discuss the human impact on our aquatic ecosystems.”
Photo: Volunteers with the Moku Loa Paddle Tribe took to the river itself during last year’s inaugural cleanup in Patchogue. (file photo)
