stream cleanup – Sustainable Ewing Green Team

Protect Our Local Watershed at Our Annual Stream Cleanup in Ewing

March 6, 2025Leave a comment

Calling all our Ewing Friends and Neighbors: Let’s work together to show the Shabakunk Creek some much needed TLC on Saturday, April 12^th 9-11 am. Pre-registration required.

Cleanup days are a good time for Ewing residents to get out into the environment and experience nature while working to protect our important natural resources. Volunteers walk along specific stream segments and pick up trash and litter. This event, run by Mayor Bert Steinman and the Ewing Green Team in partnership with The Watershed Institute has been run in a number of Ewing locations over the years resulting in the removal of over 9200 pounds of trash during this event alone.

Additionally, over the past decade, The Watershed Institute’s annual cleanups have coordinated the hard work of over 9,300 enthusiastic volunteers who have removed more than 160,000 pounds of trash from our local area communities.

The Ewing event this year will concentrate cleanup efforts at the Shabakunk Creek at the Hollowbrook Community Center and its environs, at 320 Hollowbrook Drive, Ewing.

Pre-registration is required!

This is a rain or shine event. Long pants, gloves, and closed-toed shoes are highly recommended. Please don’t forget to bring the gloves and your reusable water bottle! This is an in-person program. Masks are optional. A parent or legal guardian is required to attend with all children. To attend this event, you must agree to the terms of the waiver included during registration.

Thank You Giveaways!

Trees NOT Tees! The Watershed will continue to offer cleanup volunteers a complimentary tree sapling to say thank you for helping keep our waterways clean! They will not be offering stream cleanup t-shirts as we typically do to reduce our environmental impact and conserve limited natural resources. One cotton t-shirt takes 650 gallons of water to produce while a single oak tree can host 532 species of caterpillars, 147 species of birds, 120 species of mammals, and 60 species of reptiles and amphibians. In addition, one mature white oak can absorb over 2000 gallons stormwater per year which can reduce stormwater runoff pollution, flooding, and recharge groundwater.

Event Summary

Event: Stream Cleanupat the West Branch of the Shabakunk Creek.
Date: Saturday, April 12^thTime: 9 – 11 am
Location: Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Drive, Ewing.
Cost: a couple of hours of your time
Pre-registration required: Click Here

2024 Stream Cleanup Results

April 22, 2024Leave a comment

Just over a week ago on a cold and damp Saturday morning on April 13^th, the Green Team, Environmental Commission, and The Watershed Institute partnered to perform a cleanup of the Shabakunk Creek at Ewing’s Hollowbrook Community Center and its environs. This event was a part of a Stream Cleanup held every spring where volunteers from local municipalities come together to remove trash and debris from our local waterways to protect and preserve essential wildlife habitat, safeguard our water quality, help control flooding, and engage the citizenry in the beautification and care of our local environment.

This marks The Watershed’s 18th annual cleanup in local watersheds and the 5^th in which Ewing participated. Over the past decade, 8,700 enthusiastic volunteers have removed more than 152,000 pounds of trash from our communities.

Our haul this year totaled 1855 pounds of trash, removed by the 56 volunteers who braved the cold and drizzle. The most commonly found items included cardboard, glass bottles, and plastics. Special finds this year were air conditioner parts, a rusty bike, deer stand, lots of concrete (construction) waste, a mailbox, trash cans, a car bumper, bike crossing road sign, seed spreader, seat cushion, half of a ninja blender, a traffic cone, and chicken wire fence.

Ewing had the most pounds of trash collected for that first weekend of cleanups and we ranked 2^nd in the number of volunteers who braved the cold and rain. We thank everyone who so generously gave of their time at this event: local students, scout groups, corporate groups, families and, of course, our friends at The Watershed for organizing this once again and including us in this critical effort in watershed protection.

About The Watershed Institute

The Watershed Institute is a non-profit organization committed to keeping water clean, safe, and healthy. They wok to protect and restore Central New Jersey water and natural environment through conservation, advocacy, science, and education.

We Need You for Our Spring Stream Clean Up on April 13th!

February 29, 2024Leave a comment

The winter is coming to an end and our thoughts are turning to spring, spring cleaning that is.

The Ewing Green Team has once again partnered with The Watershed Institute and Mayor Bert Steinmann to host our annual spring Stream Cleanup. This year we will be cleaning the Shabakunk Creek in the area around the Hollowbrook Community Center. It flows behind the Community Center, a lovely tributary of the Assunpink Creek. From the Assunpink, the water ultimately flows to the Delaware River, the source of our drinking water.

We invite our friends and neighbors to gather with us on Saturday, April 13^th to clean up our community and make our watershed a healthier and even lovelier environment.

This year marks The Watershed’s 18^th annual cleanup during which some 8,700 volunteers have removed over 152,000 pounds of trash from local communities, helping to make our watershed healthier, protect our environment, and beautify our communities!

Thank You Giveaways!

Tees Not trees! The Watershed will no longer be offering stream cleanup t-shirts, but rather cleanup volunteers will receive a complimentary tree sapling to say thank you for helping keep our waterways clean! This will reduce environmental impact and conserve limited natural resources. One cotton t-shirt takes 650 gallons of water to produce while a single oak tree can host 532 species of caterpillars, 147 species of birds, 120 species of mammals, and 60 species of reptiles and amphibians. In addition, one mature white oak can absorb over 2000 gallons stormwater per year which can reduce stormwater runoff pollution, flooding, and recharge groundwater.

Stream Cleanup Details

Date: Saturday, April 13, 2024
Time: 9 – 11 am
Location: Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Road
Pre-registration is required to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Our cleanup is a rain or shine event. Always wear gloves (please bring your own) when picking up litter and avoid any direct contact with trash. Trash bags will be provided. Long pants and closed-toed shoes are suggested for woodier areas. The Hollowbrook grounds are often muddy closer to the creek, participants may be most comfortable wearing rain boots or similar waterproof shoes. Don’t forget your (reusable!) water bottle.

This is an in-person program. Masks are optional. A parent or legal guardian is required to attend with all children. To attend this event, you must agree to the terms of the waiver included during registration.

We look forward to spring cleaning with all of you on April 13^th!

Protect Our Local Watershed at Our Annual Stream Cleanup in Ewing

February 23, 2023Leave a comment

Calling all our Ewing Friends and Neighbors: Let’s work together to show the West Branch of the Shabakunk Creek some much needed TLC on Saturday, April 15^th 1 -11 am. Pre-registration required.

Mayor Bert Steinman, the Ewing Green Team, and The Watershed Institute have partnered to offer a Ewing Township stream cleanup for an early celebration of Earth Day 2023. Volunteer with friends and neighbors to help remove trash, litter, and debris from the West Branch of the Shabakunk Creek. Over the past decade, 7,900 enthusiastic volunteers have removed more than 141,000 pounds of trash from local area communities. These cleanup events are a great way to get outside, work together to keep our waterways clean, and improve wildlife habitat. 

This Ewing event will concentrate cleanup efforts at the West Branch of the Shabakunk Creek at the Home Depot location, 1621 North Olden Ave., Ewing.

Pre-registration is required!

Thank You Giveaways!

Trees NOT Tees! This year The Watershed will be offering cleanup volunteers a complimentary tree sapling to say thank you for helping keep our waterways clean! We will not be offering stream cleanup t-shirts as we typically do to reduce our environmental impact and conserve limited natural resources. One cotton t-shirt takes 650 gallons of water to produce while a single oak tree can host 532 species of caterpillars, 147 species of birds, 120 species of mammals, and 60 species of reptiles and amphibians. In addition, one mature white oak can absorb over 2000 gallons stormwater per year which can reduce stormwater runoff pollution, flooding, and recharge groundwater.

Event Summary

Event: Stream Cleanupat the West Branch of the Shabakunk Creek.
Date: Saturday, April 15^thTime: 9 – 11 am
Location: Home Depot Parking Lot, 1621 North Olden Ave., Ewing.
Cost: a couple of hours of your time
Pre-registration required: Click Here

We Need YOU for our 2021 Stream Cleanup!

March 23, 2021Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again, time for spring cleaning! The Ewing Green Team has partnered with The Watershed Institu te and Mayor Bert Steinmann to host a spring Stream Cleanup at the Hollowbrook Community Center.

The Hollowbrook Community Center backs up to a beautiful stretch of the Shabakunk Creek, a tributary of Assunpink Creek. Water makes its way from the Shabakunk to the Assunpink, ultimately flowing to the Delaware River, the source of our Ewing drinking water. Friends and neighbors, let’s gather safely to clean up our community and make our watershed a healthier and even lovelier environment.

Saturday, April 24, 2021 Stream Cleanup Details

Hollowbrook Community Center

320 Hollowbrook Road

Ewing, NJ 08628

Pre-registration is required.

We are offering staggered start times to accommodate two groups of volunteers.

9:00am to 10:00am participants may register here

10:00am to 11:00am participants may register here

The cleanup is a rain or shine event. Please bring your own gloves and (reusable!) water bottle. Trash bags will be provided. Long pants and closed-toed shoes are suggested for woodier areas. The Hollowbrook grounds are often muddy closer to the creek, participants may be most comfortable wearing rain boots or similar waterproof shoes.

Masks, social distancing, and adult attendance are required. A parent or legal guardian is required to attend with all children. Children ages 2 and older must wear a mask at all times.

The stream cleanup policies and waiver can be read here.

We look forward to spring cleaning with all of you on April 24^th!