A group of environmentally-conscious Storm King students focused their efforts on a ‘green’ cause which plays an important role in protecting our area’s natural environment and benefits the greater Cornwall community. On Saturday, May 1, 2021, they joined forces with other volunteers at the 10th Annual Riverkeeper Sweep to help clean up the Hudson’s riverbanks. It was a record turn-out for Storm King with 17 students participating in the event.

 

 

The Riverkeeper Sweep is an annual day of service for the Hudson River and its tributaries where thousands of volunteers gather at hundreds of locations along the Hudson shoreline from Brooklyn to the Adirondacks. Their collective goal is to remove trash, debris, invasive species, and plant trees and native grasses, thus improving the river’s water quality over time.

 

 

Rising early and braving the morning’s cold winds, students gathered with the other volunteers near the gazebo at Cornwall-on-Hudson’s Donahue Memorial Park before splitting up in groups to collect trash along the river banks. “We always have a great time every year, doing something good for the environment while we enjoy the scenic views,” said Dr. Paul Feffer who accompanied the students at the event. Junior Theresa Gormley ’22 added, “I felt really proud to be part of this.”

 

 

The gathering at the Cornwall Landing location was organized by the Cornwall Conservation Trust and Riverkeeper. The combined effort of both organizations brought a large group of volunteers, including the Storm King group, who worked together to remove hundreds of pounds of trash and junk from the riverbanks that day. Keep up the great work, SKS!