For Release: Thursday, April 16, 2009
Utica Marsh Cleanup Scheduled for Saturday, April 25
DEC is Participating in Earth Day-Related Events Throughout Mohawk Valley
As part of Earth Day 2009, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has scheduled the annual Utica Marsh cleanup for Saturday, April 25, Regional Director Judy Drabicki announced today. The event will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at approximately noon.
"Revitalizing our wetlands is a great way to observe Earth Day," Director Drabicki said. "Wetlands provide many vital benefits to the overall health of our environment. They serve as habitats for fish, wildlife and many endangered and threatened species, as well as provide our communities with valuable open space. This is a joint cleanup effort by the Utica Marsh Council, Inc., the DEC and the community, and I encourage environmental stewards throughout the area to join us."
All volunteers are asked to sign up at the cleanup headquarters that will be set up in the large parking lot at the end of Barnes Avenue in Utica starting at 9 a.m. Volunteers should dress for outside work and wear work gloves if available. They should also bring along some plastic grocery bags for trash. Additional trash bags, latex gloves and refreshments will be available.
Utica Marsh can be accessed by turning off Oriskany Boulevard onto Barnes Avenue. Please park at the end of Barnes Avenue in the large parking area next to the Erie Canal.
The Utica Marsh Council is a not-for-profit organization that has worked with DEC since the Council's formation 28 years ago. Utica Marsh has observation towers, a wheelchair-accessible deck and trails. Many of the structures and trails at the marsh were made possible through hours of labor by volunteer members of this environmentally concerned group.
"Utica Marsh Wildlife Management Area is owned by all the people of New York State," Drabicki said. "The area receives extensive use by schools as an outdoor classroom and by bird watchers due to the large variety of bird species. This is a fun opportunity to help clean up this unique area that is enjoyed by so many."
For more information on the cleanup, members of the public can call Steven Heerkens, wildlife biologist in the Utica DEC office, at (315) 793-2556.
In addition, DEC has partnered with the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority (OHSWA) for the Earth Day events planned at the Authority's Recycling Center on Leland Ave in Utica on April 25 and at both the Sauquoit Creek and Oriskany Creek clean-ups on April 18. For more information on these events and/or to help out contact OHSWA at 733-1224.
