environmental club
Club & Greek

Environmental Club Helps to Restore Whale Pond Brook

The Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association hosted a brook restoration this past Thursday, October 18, to remove invasive species from Whale Pond Brook, as well as cover the banks of the brook with mulch in preparation for the next planting season.

The cleanup lasted from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, along Whale Pond Brook, located just off campus. The University Environmental Club had planned to assist with the restoration, however there was only one student in attendance due to conflicting class schedules with the majority of club members.

Mitchell Mickley, a junior, majoring in marine and environmental biology and policy, was the only student from the University who attended the brook restoration. Mickley wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, he arrived to the cleanup eager to lend a helping hand. He said, “Everyone talks about cleaning up the environment but no one wants to get their hands dirty.”

Brett Gilmartin, the Environmental Club President, commented on the low turnout, “I’m sorry I could not give you a fair representation of the Environmental Club today. There was so little turnout because of the time and therefore lack of E-Board. Unfortunately the community chose to do the clean up during a time the entire E-Board and ten other members were in a meeting for their Marine Biology Major, so I am not disappointed with the turnout.”

Besides Mitchell, there were many members from the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association at the cleanup volunteering their time to the beautification of the environment. Faith Teitelbaum, a community member and participant of the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association was in charge of the event. Faith took part in the clean up by identifying native species to the brook, as well as removing the invasive species from the banks. Faith, as well as the other volunteers, placed cardboard around the banks where they removed the invasive plants. They placed mulch on top of the cardboard, claiming the cardboard would suppress the growth of the invasive plants, so that in the next planting season, the area would be easier to maintain and plant new vegetation. Faith also had a blueprint of the brook and what the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association planned to do with the area. Faith’s blueprint proposal involved the planting of more native species on the banks of the brook, planting bushes in the immediate area, and also to have benches placed by the brook, with two trails leading from the street to the brook.

There are also plans to set up a bike trail along the brook that will run just west of the University. “The main goal of the project,” Faith said, “Is to highlight that this is an important and historical part of the environment.”

Across from where the cleanup took place, there is a 140 year old building which added to the historical value of the brook, which Faith, as well as the rest of the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association, wanted to highlight.

Lisa Bagwell, who is the manager of the community gardens in the City of Long Branch, was also in attendance. Bagwell took the initiative to get out and help with the beautification of the environment, saying, “It is important to increase beautification, there is not enough beauty in our environment.”

“This cleanup is part of a larger project that includes a full clean up and restoration of the brook,” explained John Baye, a community member involved with the Whalepond Brook Watershed Association. It is also in the same sense a demo project, for educational purposes, and learning how to effectively propagate native species. Similar projects, according to Baye, namely one on Deal Lake that took place last year, which was not headed by the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association, was a failure, because of the lack of mulching and active nurturing. This project is funded by the five cities that the brook runs through: Long Branch, West Long Branch, Ocean, Eatontown and Tinton Falls. These five cities have it as part of their budget to contribute to the beautification and restoration of the environment.

The Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association will be conducting more clean ups and beautification related outings coming up in the near future. If you want to get involved you can access their website at www.restorethewatershed.com, and take some time out to better our environment. Also, if you want to get involved with the University Environmental club you can email muenvironmentalclub@gmail.com, or attend weekly meetings in Bey Hall room 132 Wednesdays at 2:30 pm. “To enhance our environment doesn’t take much”, Faith said, quoting Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

PHOTO COURTESY of Taylor Copp