Once again, the Shark River Cleanup Coalition will be partnering with the American Littoral Society, led by Capt. Al Modjeski, ALS Habitat Restoration Director, in the annual tagging of horseshoe crabs in and around the Shark River.
The SRCC is in need of drills to attach the tags and is asking anyone who has a drill they would like to donate or bring to the horseshoe crabbing event to contact the group.
A tentative schedule is attached below: Volunteers will first meet at Memorial Park in Neptune City (note change of meeting site from last year) for a quick tagging training on Tues., May 15 at 7: 30 p.m.
Participants should dress to get wet, have a change of clothes, flashlight, and bring a drill if they have one.
The group monitor the beaches to include Memorial Beach in Neptune City, L Street Beach in Belmar, the Marina in Shark River Hills on South Riverside (2 sites), S. Riverside Drive by Tremont in Shark River Hills, Hillside Avenue (off of Brighton) in Shark River Hills, and Hurley’s Pond in Wall Township.
The SRCC also reported that over 75 volunteers showed up to cleanup the Shark River on Sat., April 21 as part of the Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweeps campaign.
The Shark River Cleanup Coalition has been conducting River cleanups biyearly for over 15 years, at various sites around the river including Memorial Park in Neptune City, South and North Riverside Drives in Neptune, Maclearie Park in Belmar, and Belmar Blvd. in Wall Township.
The group included young and old, school groups, scouts, families, new faces, and old friends of the River.
Over 48 bags of trash and recycled items were collected, including plastic bottles, metal cans, tons of bottle caps and styrofoam cups and pieces, plastic bags, fishing line, snack bags, candy wrappers, straws, fast food containers, glass, cardboard and cigarette filters.
Among the more unusual items were a gas can, propane tank, ties, basketballs, tennis balls, a boogie board, a doll, shovel, pails, a resin chair, and a metal anchor.
Cleanup supplies were provided by Neptune Township and Monmouth County Clean Communities.
The SRCC expressed appreciation to Stuart Newman from MCCC and Tracey James of Neptune Township CC.
Also attending were freeholder Tom Arnone, a longtime river advocate, and Neptune City Council members Alex Tallman and Pam Renee.
Visit our Facebook page, Save Shark River, for pics of the event. More pics will be posted on our website, www.sharkriver.org.
