Coginchaug River Cleanup & Duck Race: Oct 2

Volunteers are needed to for  the Coginchaug River clean up! 

Join the fun, be part of the annual "Source-to-Sea" effort, and help clean the river!  On October 2, 2010, the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District and the Middletown Regional Agricultural Science and Technology Center are leading a Coginchaug River cleanup at Veteran's Park in Middletown 11:00 to 1:00. The cleanup is being held in conjunction with the Connecticut River Source To Sea Cleanup.

The City of Middletown Parks Department has generously offered to contribute gloves, bags and other supplies.  Any additional donations from businesses to help with the clean-up, such as food and drinks for the volunteers, would also be very much appreciated.

Source to Sea Cleanup is an annual four-state community cleanup of the Connecticut River and its tributaries coordinated by the Connecticut River Watershed Council.  As a volunteer you will be one of thousands working watershed-wide on the same day to clean up our watershed.  If you would like to participate as a volunteer or make a donation, please contact the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District at (860) 346-3282, or email ctrivercoastal@conservect.org. The Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Middletown, works to conserve the natural resources of towns in the lower Connecticut River watershed and coastal areas.  For more information about District technical and educational programs and services, please click the above link.

If you are like me, without any children in school, you might not know that Middletown Regional Agricultural Science and Technology Center (MRASATC) is an educational program of Middletown HS. This is the first year that the program will host what they hope will be an annual Duck Race in Middletown. This year the race is being held in conjunction with

the Coginchaug River Clean-up. Funds raised this year will help to cover the cost of a trip to the National FFA Convention and competition in Indianapolis, Oct 20-23. Early in the year the team of four  (Josh Mrozowski, Paul Kiniry, Andzrej Skonieczny, all of Middletown and Liam Mellaly of Clinton, CT) competed against teams across CT to earn an invitation to attend the event. 

The competition required students to gather and evaluate environmental data, demonstrate skills, calculate results and communicate management recommendation. The practicum's in the competition included identifying wildlife, evaluation of soil profiles to determine land use, testing of water quality to determine potential sources of pollution, assessing ecosystem quality and creating management plans. 

Because this contest includes such a wide range of skills, this team's accomplishment is a notable achievement.  The team is hoping to raise $4000. For more information on this event contact Courtney Johnson at (860)704-4599 or by email at johnsonc@mps1.org.

So come on down to Veteran's Park and the Coginchaug River and lend a hand, and a buck or two for a duck. Duck racing starts at 10:00. Good luck. The cleanup starts at 11:00.