NHAMCP Trash Patrol Series Finale

Today the New Hampshire Appalachian Mountain Club Paddlers held their 6th in a series of trash patrols organized and led by NHAMCP member Denise Hurt.  The series started back in May with each having been scheduled for the first Saturday of the respective month.  Previous patrols were held on the Nashua, Contoocook, Merrimack (2) and Squannacook rivers.  This month's target was a 2-mile section of the Nashua River in Pepperell between conservation land near the Kemp horse track down to the dam at East Pepperell.
Pictured above ( l to r) are participants Ruth, Sue, Marion, Denise, Sheila, Ron, and Betsy.

Joining the group today was Founding Director Emeritus of the Nashua River Watershed Association and internationally recognized river advocate Marion Stoddart...

In addition to helping with today's trash patrol, Marion was also collecting signatures for the Massachusetts Updated Bottle Bill ballot initiative which, if passed by voters, will provide a redemption value for non-carbonated containers of water, sports drinks, iced-teas, etc.  Those of us who reside in Massachusetts were honored to add our signatures to the initiative.

Shortly after we launched the skies brightened and cleared allowing this display of fall foliage ...

A riverside bench displayed the handiwork of a tidy litterbug...

...all the correct steps were taken except the final and most important one-"hauling it out"!

After a leg stretch near the dam we re-launched and headed back to our starting point...

...witnessing and hearing this mute swan flyover along the way...

From the river and the adjacent shoreline we recovered 286 recyclable containers and 189 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish which included Styrofoam, plastic bags, bait tubs, a Bell helmet, 2 automobile tires, some water chestnut plants, and a temporarily disoriented crayfish who was returned to the river. 
Hats off to Denise and the New Hampshire Appalachian Mountain Club Paddlers for their success with this project.