NCHS New Canaan Students Clean up Norwalk River Bank

New Canaan High School Junior, Paul Gelhaus, recently reached out to the Maritime Aquarium and said: "I have been rowing on the Norwalk River for six years and I know I speak for many of my fellow rowers when I say I appreciate having such a wonderful waterway in my backyard and I feel a certain responsibility to maintain it. With this in mind, I was thinking of rallying members of our rowing club to pick up litter along the river's edge."

On Saturday, May 30th, Paul recruited fellow Rowing Club members, and other friends and conducted that clean up. The Aquarium has limited resources, and although it works to keep the riverbank clean and maintained, the Norwalk River is a tidal river which constantly replenishes the riverbank with litter. Needless to say they were thrilled that Paul and his friends offered to do this.

The group started by the municipal parking lot near our IMAX Theater and the docks of the Maritime Aquarium and Norwalk Seaport Association, moving north to the public picnic pavilion near the Aquarium's main entrance. They cleared a good couple of hundred yards. The Maritime Aquarium provided gloves, garbage bags and poles that have "grabbers" on the end for picking up glass and other at-risk items.
 
Great job Paul. Not only did you take the initiative to contact the Aquarium directly but you enlisted friends to help you out. It's wonderful to see how you and your friends care about the environment - your families should be very proud.
 
Image: Paul Gelhaus is pictured in pink with his friends and the Aquarium educators - Andrea Wagner (left) and Michelle Lewis (in hat and sunglasses).
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Submitted by Westport, CT

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