The first Earth Day went perfectly. A team from Eastside Marketplace joined with two Conservancy volunteers on April 22, Earth Day. On a sunny morning, the group cleaned the riverbank and roadside from the Narragansett Boat Club nearly to the Henderson Bridge. The team also swept through the south section of Blackstone Park collecting scattered litter. Almost 20 trash bags were loaded with debris, including broken glass, dozens of plastic bottles and a half-filled jug of motor oil. During a break ducks and swans floated by as the store mamager, Ray Lorenzo, shared water and delicious cookies from their bakery. Even better, the Eastside Marketplace team shared their plans to make this cleanup an annual event! Volunteer events such as this accomplish an enormous amount; we truly appreciate and need them.
Then there was the second Earth Day a few days later. Timed for the weekend as part of the city-wide Earth Day Spring Cleaning (seehttp://providenceparks.org/earth-day-spring-cleaning-2014-details/ for more details), this April 26 event coincided with a cold steady rain. Fun events aimed at teaching children about recycling and impacts of littering were cancelled. But the River Road Clean-up was the silver lining to this stormy cloud. Several regulars and a few brave newcomers combed the riverside north of River Field and cleared choking debris from York Pond. Plastic bottles, fishing line, cigarette butts and packages, and much more were removed from the waterside. Many thanks to these adults and children who were not deterred by a little New England weather!
We have several other family-oriented events scheduled in Blackstone Park and hope to run another concert series on Blackstone Boulevard. There are many more chances to enjoy your East Side parks in 2014 and beyond – check our events calendar for dates and updates.
