Delaware River: Martins Creek to Reigelsville (8-July-2016)

This trip was the preliminary run for a two day canoe trip and trash clean-up for the Northampton County Junior Conservation School. Andrew Gaerthe and I set out to paddle the twenty-one mile stretch between Martins Creek and Reigelsville on the Delaware river. The purpose of this trip was to determine the best route down the river, checking channels and identifying any hazards that the NCJCS participants may run into in the coming week. Our secondary objective was to pick up trash is some of the spots the NCJCSers would not be able to stop at. 

At the very start of the trip I found this Common Map Turtle basking on a rock. In this stretch of the Delaware Common Map Turtles are the most abundant turtle species. Just so everyone is aware, although abundant these turtles do not make good pets. They have a specialized diet and there is a good chance that if you take one from the river it will not eat and will die in your care. Please leave these magnificent creatures where they belong, in the river.   

Looking back on the Martins Creek Power Facility. This facility generates power by the burning of coal, gas and oil. After this last look I turned my attention down river for the long paddle ahead. 

It was 16 years ago that I had first set my eyes on this piece of trash on the river bank. Andrew got to see it 15 years ago. We were both students at NCJCS when we first saw it and it has changed over the years. Back then the car was parallel to the bank and was nearly fully intact. Over the years it has moved down the bank and looks as though both the river and people have worked on ripping it apart. 

On the right side of this photo is one of my favorite stops on this trek down the river. Large rocks stick out of the water offering a nice place to dock a kayak and take a break. The rocks, like the car above have been worn by the river and time. This was also our first stop to get out and pick up some trash. With strong currents around the small rock islands, this is not a place we can stop with a group.

Removed a handful of cans from on and around the island. It was nice getting into the water at this stop. It was getting hot and the cool down helped a great deal.

Nearing Easton we made another stop just after the rocks on the left side of this photo. 

This is what we found. After cleaning up this rocky area we were back into our boats with our next stop being Phillipsburg. 

Before our stop we took a channel on the Pennsylvania side around Hangman's Island just to see what it was like. There I found the rocking horse above. At the end of the channel we found that it has not changed over the years and was still not navigable with a group. We also had an unexpected encounter with a man who walked out into the channel from the island. He walked nearly half way out and started pointing down at the shoot. Not sure of his intentions we approached with caution. I went first and kept as far away from him as possible through the shoot which was only a few feet. Andrew followed without incident. He cheered when we made it and I gave him a thumbs up. He was just directing us through the shoot I guess. I try to avoid situations like this around Easton. I have seen people in the same area shooting up on the riverbank and you never know what people are going to do. Both Andrew and I were relieved when we were back on the main river and paddled over to Phillipsburg. 

When we landed Andrew walked up to Jimmie's Hot Dogs and grabbed us lunch while I worked on cleaning up the bank. This is a heavy use area with a public access boat launch and it was loaded with trash. Some of course was wash down, but a lot was stuff that people had just left on the shore. There are trash cans at the top of the launch and there is no reason this area should be as bad as it was. 

Between the retention wall for the boat ramp and the river I found this. It was bagged up, but couldn't be carried thirty feet to be thrown away?

I combined the two bags and added the non-recyclables we had already collected and took them up to the garbage can.

As we ate our hot dogs the skies clouded up, then let loose. The passengers on my boat didn't seem to mind. The penguin even looked like it was having a good time in the rain. 

We set out again down the river and it poured and poured. 

Made a quick stop to pick up a full garbage bag that Leigh Ann Stratakos and I had seen on a previous trip through this section. At the time both of our kayaks were full so we had to leave it behind. This time I was able to get it and was able to use the bag to pack in more non-recyclables. 

Made a quick stop at Wi-Hit-Tuk park to dispose of the non-recyclables. This was the last place along the river I knew had a dumpster or garbage cans, so after this there was just collecting recyclables. In the rain and with a full bag of trash it wasn't easy climbing the steep muddy path off of the river. 

The rain did finally end as we approached Reigelsville. By this point we were exhausted and were not picking up anymore trash. We did make note of areas like this that would be stops on the NCJCS clean-up. 

So close to the end we passed through the last rocky section. Here the water is deceiving. It looks to be still, yet there is a good current. 

We accomplished our goal and had determined the best route down the river for NCJCS. We also had taken out two large bags of non-recyclables and the recyclable trash above. To end this post here are a couple wildlife photos taken on this trip. 

These two fawns were on the New Jersey side of the river. Both looked healthy and the one on the left was eating as I passed. The one on the right never took its eyes off of me. 

This Cormorant was drying off its wings from the rain.

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

Recycling Day! (7-July-2016)

Generally I wouldn't do a recycling day until I had accumulated about twenty bags of recyclables. Wanted to dispose of all of this before I left for NCJCS. Just over 11 bags full and I was trying to get this task accomplished as quickly as possible. Had some things to get done in the afternoon in preparation for camp.

One bag after the next I got all these recyclables sorted out. Being pressed for time I did not photograph the process this time, just the start and the end. 

In total there were 1,755 recyclable items taken off our waterways and trails since the last recycling day on May 11th. The break down was 949 plastic bottles, 646 aluminum cans, 136 glass bottles, 19 plastic tea/milk jugs, 3 plastic oil containers and two steel cans. For the year this brings the grand total to 9,708 recyclable items this project has removed! 

I am fairly certain the next post won't be up until NCJCS ends on the 16th, posts may not be up until the 17th or 18th. It does take some time to sort photos and upload everything. 

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

Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center (6-July-2016)

I haven't been out the past couple days because of the amount of people on the river and in the local parks due to the extended holiday weekend. I have also been preparing for the Northampton County Junior Conservation School. NCJCS for me started tonight with prep work with other volunteers at the location it is held. It is near Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center so I left early enough to go do a small clean-up before going to help with set-up for the camp. It has been some time since I have hiked the trails at Jacobsburg and I really did not know what to expect. 

Walking into Henry's Woods, was pretty much the same, with the exception of some large trees. Years ago this small portion of forest called Henry's Woods was defined by a small patch of old growth Eastern Hemlocks. Now very few of the giants still stand here. The Eastern Hemlock is our state tree and is currently facing the problem of an alien invader. The non-native Hemlock Wooly Adelgid has been attacking our Hemlocks for many years. In some places the infestations have caused die offs of Hemlocks and the Adelgids have proved hard to get rid of. In the case of the old growths at Jacobsburg, I believe most fell due to storms baring heavy winds on the tall trees and not due to the Adelgid, although these trees too were infested. 

This was next to the stream side in an area that gets a lot of use by families. I wonder how many parents saw this, walked their children around it and felt it acceptable to just leave there. I wonder a lot about how people see litter and do nothing about it. I see a lot of evidence of people not caring about others or the environment. It does get tiring. 

The first, but not the last bag of dog feces I found discarded along the trail. I have a dog, I pick up her waste and I dispose of it properly. It is not hard and there is no excuse for someone throwing it off of the trailside. If you have a dog, it and what it makes is your responsibility. Please if you ever see someone throwing bags like this off the trail, ask them kindly to pick it up. I do not enjoy picking up others dog waste. 

This is what I was hoping not to see. Since my last visit more trails have popped up that lead down to the stream. It doesn't take much to ruin an area. The photo on the left is one of the new trails and the photo on the right is what that area would look similar to had someone not made a trail. These trails do have an impact on the stream. During rain events, more sediments end up in the streams and the banks generally start to have erosion issues. Also, the removal of plants that hang over the stream can end up raising the temperature of the water, which can be detrimental for both fish and macroinvertebrates. This can be prevented if people stick to the trails.

One of a few streams in Eastern PA called the Bushkill Creek. Another with the same name is just a county away. 

This was another thing that was disappointing to me. I could hear it and I found evidence that it went through, but I never did see it. Someone was driving an ATV through the park. I would like everyone to know that if you are caught on DCNR hiking trails with an ATV, your vehicle will be confiscated. I have seen a DCNR Ranger take a dirt bike before, so it does happen. 

The first pile was from the Henry's Woods Trail and the other was just from a short walk by the stream across from the main office. I didn't take many photos from the second walk. I really did not collect that much, but as always there shouldn't even be this much in our parks.

I noticed several of these on this excursion. This is a female Gypsy Moth in the process of laying eggs. The orange coming from underneath the moth is the egg casing. Gypsy Moths are non-native and in their larval stage can completely defoliate trees, both deciduous and coniferous. The impact of the larval stage can lead to large tree die offs. Populations of this species are controlled by spraying efforts to try to prevent large scale die offs of forested areas. 

The only reptile of the walk. This Northern Watersnake look content sitting in the current. As I have stated many times in this blog, Northern Watersnakes are not venomous and are a beneficial part to our aquatic ecosystems. Please don't kill snakes, just give them distance and respect when you encounter one in the wild. 

This will most likely be my last post until the end of NCJCS on the 16th. I will be back with lots of photos and several posts from the week of camp and our trash collecting adventure on the Delaware!

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

Delaware River: Easton to Wi-Hit-Tuk (2-July-2016)

This clean-up was a joint effort of Taking Out the Trash and 3 Moons Studio. Leigh Ann Stratakos of 3 Moons and I set out on the water to work on a portion of the Delaware Canal and River. Starting at Wi-Hit-Tuk Park we paddled our way up the canal towards Easton. This is a section I did a couple times last year and it always has trash, especially the river.

Going up the canal there was not as much as I have found before on the canal, but there was still a lot to pick up. Some items like the piece of a portable toilet were to large to remove with the kayaks, there were a few other things that were just out of reach with the boats as well. I think we did an excellent job of removing just about every other piece of trash though. 

What a great day to be out on the water!

By the time we reached Easton we both had a decent amount of trash. I had a couple items on my boat that I couldn't safely paddle down the river with. 

I left these in the DCNR parking lot and hopefully they will be picked up before someone throws them back in the canal. No garbage cans anywhere at this access, so I just have to hope these are picked up sometime.

Looking out over where the Lehigh joins the Delaware, we could see a lot of people out enjoying the water.

We found this deflated shark as we carried our boats down to the river. Pool toys often pop when used on the river and instead of disposing of them properly their owners just discard them on the riverbank.

Right before we shoved off on the river. We both still had a good amount of room for trash in and on our boats. Little did we know how quickly this would change with river trash. 

Three stops, still within sight of the city, filled up our boats. 

There is just so much along the riverbank!

This was all the boats could handle for a safe paddle back. The only stops we made after this point were for larger items that could be tucked under or on top of the trash bags. 

We did see a few turtles on the trip. This hatchling is a Common Map Turtle. They are often seen along the Delaware, sometimes on the Lehigh, but really are not often seen in other portions of eastern PA. Map Turtles do not do well in captivity if you see them in the wild please leave them there. 

Almost back to Wi-Hit-Tuk and our boats couldn't hold anymore!

From here it was a steep portage up the riverbank and across the canal. It wasn't easy, but we got it accomplished in no time. 

The majority of what we collected were non-recyclables and they were disposed of in a DCNR dumpster. The recyclables filled about two garbage bags and those I took to dispose of at a recycling center. 

Thank you so much to Leigh Ann and 3 Moons Studio for the help on this trip! We got a lot accomplished, but there is much more to be done in the future on this section of the Delaware!

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

Nescopeck State Park (29-June-2016)

Took to the trails at Nescopeck State Park. Haven't been to this park since the winter and was wondering how clean it would be. 

There ended up being more wildlife along the trails that trash, something I am always happy to see. A Juvenile Green Frog is on the left and a Red Eft stage Red-Spotted Newt on the right. 

With it being such a hot day I tried my best to stick to the trails closest to the streams. Here beavers have turned one of the smaller creeks into a nice sized pond. 

If you are out hiking around any water source at this time of year be mindful of turtles laying eggs or hatchlings emerging from eggs laid last year. I came across two Painted Turtles digging nests right on the trails and one nest that hatchlings had recently emerged from. The remnants of the turtle egg shells are on the right.

It was slim pickings for trash, most of the trails were spotless and the streams were not too bad either.  Things can always be found though if you look hard enough.

In a couple places I was able to cover both sides of the streams. I stuck to the paths though so I had to skip some portions. What a beautiful area though. 

One of the many shallow ponds throughout the park. 

This was all for trash. Why can't all of our parks have this little. 

This buck was on the trailside and didn't seem to mind too much that I was there. For a time I stood and watched as it went between eating and watching me.

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