Back in July, I participated in a clean-up hosted by the Wildlands Conservancy and the DCNR. On that trip I met Brian Greene, the lead river guide for Wildlands. After talking to him, he invited me along on another river clean-up hosted by the Conservancy and of course I took him up on the offer. I did get a surprise though when I showed up. The trip was not a volunteer event, but part of the Conservancy's Bike and Boat program. This program takes groups on guided tours of the lower Lehigh. Biking up the canal path, then canoeing down the river. If you would like to know more about the Bike and Boat program you can visit wildlandspa.org, then click on Education & Recreation. The group that was participating in this trip was from Muhlenberg College and they specifically requested to do a clean-up. I thought that was awesome! Pictured above is the Wildlands staff who were guiding this trip. They did an amazing job and were at the top of their game all day.
This was the biggest surprise to me when I arrived at Sand Island in Bethlehem. Not knowing it was a Bike and boat trip I was not aware I would be starting my morning off with a bike ride. The Wildlands staff was very accommodating and allowed me to throw my paddling gear in one of their vehicles and they transported it up to Allentown. In the photo above one of the staff members is giving a bike safety talk and going over the features of their bikes.
On the bike ride up the D&L Trail I stayed in the lead with one of the guides. I was able to get a good look at the canal along the way and I could see that trash has already accumulated in it since my last clean-up at this location earlier in the year. I also could see a multitude of Painted Turtles and Red-Eared Sliders. It really was a nice bike trip. The participants from Muhlenberg made several stops along the way and took about a half of a garbage bag of trash off the trail.
I did not stop for photos of the turtles while biking, but when we reached Allentown I did take this photo of Red-Eared Sliders. There are four in the photo, three juveniles and one large adult. Red-Eared Sliders are a non-native species to Pennsylvania. Often sold in the pet trade, they are often released into our canals, lakes, rivers and streams. They can out compete our native turtles for food and basking sites and in some areas like this section of the Lehigh Canal have taken over as the dominant basking species.
Here the lead river guide for this trip gives instruction on the proper way to paddle, the hazards the group may face on the way down and how to deal with them. After this the group is launched on the canal for those who have not paddled before to get familiar with paddling and steering. They then take out further down the canal and portage to the river.
Due to time constraints of the group this was a grab and go clean-up. I focused mostly on filling my boat and did not take many photos. As you can see in my boat there is no shortage of garbage on this section of the Lehigh and the trash started piling up right away.
For any of the groups that go on a Bike and Boat trip it is a great learning experience. Along the river the wildlife is diverse and participants get to see a variety of species. On this trip everyone was able to see Great Blue herons like the one pictured above, Osprey, a Bald Eagle and Belted Kingfishers. On other trips participants are taught about the life in the river and on some even do small macroinvertebrate studies, looking at insects and other Arthropods to determine water quality.
For a short break we stopped on one of the islands along this route. Here one of the Wildlands Staff did find a syringe. I bottled it up and took it for disposal. Syringes are becoming more of a common occurrence in our local rivers and I have found them in multiples sites on every river that I paddle. Always watch where you are walking, both on the riverbank and on trails, the syringes are not always capped.
Back on the water and the group needed to get down to make it to their bus. From the island on there was not time for the group to pick up any more trash.
I however, can't leave big items if I see them and have room in my boat. I made one last stop and picked up this dandy boombox and a styrofoam cooler, which just about filled my canoe.
The strait stretch to Bethlehem. Rounding a bend in the river the participants can see all the way to the bridges where the trip ends. Here the water is relatively calm for a good distance and it is a nice easy paddle to the end.
My boat was the last one in and since it was full of mud and silt after removing the trash I rinsed it out so the staff wouldn't have to clean it. By the time I made it to the top of the launch all of the participants trash had already been packed into one of the Wildlands vehicles and I was unable to get a photo. This is everything I removed from the river. The Wildlands staff also took this with them as well, disposing of it at their facilities and not leaving it for the city of Bethlehem. I would like to thank all of the participants from Muhlenberg College for choosing to participate in a clean-up instead of just paddling the river! Every bit helps and if more groups did this the river would be a much nicer place for both wildlife and people. Thank you also to the Wildlands Staff who did a tremendous job on guiding this trip!
Once again thank you to the Wildlands Conservancy and if you would like to know more about the Conservancy and the programs they provide, please visit wildlandspa.org
You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash
Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA
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