Good Clean Fun: Spring Community Cleanups

May 07, 2026| Community, Environment

By: Donna Macalle-Holly

Spring showed up in full force this year, and so did our incredible volunteers. We started at Hopatcong State Park, one of several cleanup locations organized by the Musconetcong Watershed Association along the Musconetcong River. Our site focused on the river’s headwaters, where 29 volunteers made quick work of what was left behind, collecting twenty bags of trash and tackling a large pile of debris.

Hopatcong Pack 88 once again brought great energy and teamwork to the effort, and we are so grateful for their continued involvement. Bill, a familiar face at many of our cleanups, had the find of the day when he pulled a sizable piece of a car bumper from the roadside. Not exactly small trash, but nothing this crew couldn’t handle. It was a rewarding day all around and a great reminder of what can happen when people come together with a shared purpose.

After a bit of classic spring rain forced us to reschedule, our Roxbury Adopt-a-Spot cleanup took place on May 2 along our one-and-a-half-mile stretch of Mt. Arlington Boulevard. The delay did nothing to dampen spirits. Volunteers showed up ready to get to work and enjoy the morning. Our Development Director, Caitlin Doran, was right in the mix as always, and among her more memorable finds was a muddy little teddy bear wearing an Atlantic Health T-shirt, a small moment that added a touch of reflection to the day.

We were especially glad to see Landing resident Kevin back again, bringing his great smile and can-do attitude that has become part of this cleanup tradition. We also extend a big thank you to our next-door neighbors Kathy, Kim, and Jim from Team ReMax, who continue to show up year after year as dependable and enthusiastic partners in this effort. By the end of the morning, 23 bags of trash had been collected, and the roadside was looking great again, at least for a little while.

These cleanup days are about more than the bags of trash we collect. They are about neighbors showing up, pitching in, and taking pride in the places we all share. We are truly grateful to every volunteer who joined us and made these days so enjoyable and impactful. A final behind-the-scenes high five goes to the Hopatcong State Park maintenance staff and the Roxbury DPW, who handle the heavy lifting of hauling everything away. We couldn’t do it without them.