MHS Teens Clean Up Banks of Hudson River

teens joined more than 500 New Jersey middle and high school students at the fourth annual New Jersey Clean Communities Council Student Exchange at the Palisades Interstate Park (PIP), on March 22.

This annual program enables students to conduct an actual hands-on cleanup following classroom education and local field-based learning. The student exchange luncheon after the cleanup, at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, provided the students with an opportunity to meet with their peers who also rid one of six PIP locations of debris that same morning. Participants were from schools including East Orange, Guttenberg, Hackensack, Atlantic County Institute of Technology in Mays Landing, Monroe Township (Gloucester County), Morristown, Newark, North Arlington, Old Bridge, Paramus and Passaic City. Environmental issues related to litter, the proper handling of waste, and water conservation were highlighted.

“Our primary goal is that these teens gain an appreciation that clean water starts with clean streets, river banks and beaches. Litter runs downstream and every can, bottle and wrapper needs to be put in the proper place," Huber said in statement sent to Patch. “We hope to instill lifelong care and concern for our environment locally in New Jersey and globally.”