'Barnegat Bay Blitz' Slated for Today, Rain or Shine

The state Department of Environmental Protection is still seeking volunteers for the first ever Barnegat Bay Blitz, a one-day cross-community effort to clean up the bay's watershed set for Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Businesses, schools, volunteer groups, community organizations and others are encouraged to help organize teams to pick up trash at locations on the bayfront and along streams within watershed, which stretches from Little Egg Harbor north into Howell and Freehold Townships. The cleanup effort is part of Gov. Chris Christie's 10-point plan for restoring the waterway.

DEP staffers are working as team captains to mobilize volunteers within watershed communities. Berkeley's team captain is Mike Deely, who can be reached at 609-633-1332.

The event, which will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., targets a wide variety of locations for cleanup, including wetlands, stream banks, stormwater discharge points, school grounds, trails, docks, areas around bulkheads, and the bay itself. The cleanup will be held rain or shine.

Participating groups have stepped up to the plate to help, state officials announced Monday.

Groups expected to participate include local elementary, middle, and high schools, the ReClam the Bay environmental group, AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassadors, the Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association, staff and students from Jenkinson's Aquarium, and senior citizens from Harvey Cedars.

Kayakers from the Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association, volunteers from ReClam the Bay, and employees of the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife, will clean up areas around the Sedge Islands Marine Conservation Zone. Fort Dix crews will help out in various locations, including Manchester, Lakehurst and Brendan Byrne State Park. A llama will help local residents cart away trash collected in and around the Colliers Mill Wildlife Management Area.

For more information on the cleanup blitz, visit the event's website.

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