The Friends of Hemlock Gorge’s 30th Annual Spring Cleanup took place despite covid-19 in warm weather under cloudless skies on Saturday, April 25, 2020.
This was a clean up unlike any other because of the coronavirus pandemic. Volunteers, only a few, came singly, wearing masks as well as cloves, and kept far from one another. The reservation was surprisingly clean, perhaps as a result of people picking up trash regularly and perhaps due to fewer visitors.
We don’t know exactly how many persons participated because of extreme social distancing but there were quite a few of us at different times of the day.
Lee and Jean Fisher, Emily Gelbert and her son Max, Evan Weststrate and his son, Robin Dexter, Bob Ellertsen and John Mordes were among the participants. Evan and his son cleaned the riverbank from his canoe. Jean raked leaves off the west end of Echo Bridge while Lee repainted the two trail markers. Emily also raked the area around the Stone Building and Bob worked on the Route 9 exit.
There were many day visitors hiking through the Gorge. There were more than half a dozen bags of trash left for the DCR at the Stone Barn and Hamilton Place by the end of the day. We missed the camaraderie of the canceled luncheon but want to thank everyone who turned out to make this a success.
The Friends of Hemlock Gorge extend heartfelt thanks to all who did participate on a gorgeous spring day.
