All trash was weighed and then sorted. Ugly stuff came out. Present here Robin, Woody, Jessica, Blake.
Boy, we’ve got some slobs who use our river, and then we have some of the other kind who spend a day pulling trash out of it. Thanks to our 29 great volunteers who came out Sunday and picked up 349 pounds of unwanted human garbage left by uncaring individuals who think only of themselves.
Great organizers, Kristen Merritt and OSFR board member Rhonda Long.
Thanks also to organizers Rhonda Long and Kristen Merritt, who did a superb job and to Merrillee and Doug Jipson of Rum 138 for the assistance in transporting people and kayaks. Special thanks to Wayne Kinard of Amigos Dive Center who was everywhere and who used his boat as a trash container for disposal.
Crossing the finish line are Kris Eskelin, Rhonda Long and Terry Phelan.
The Santa Fe River got a good sprucing up on Sunday, with no less than five (5) organizations out working on trash. Reports give their names as Play Hard Florida, Divers Without Borders, Master Switch Freediving, Current Problems, and, of course, Our Santa Fe River. Four worked mostly around Rum Island, but OSFR took the long road and went from Rum Island Park to Hollingsworth Bluff.
Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson came up with something weird and unidentified. It weighs 90 pounds, but floats. Wayne Kinard prepares to weigh it.
Who dropped that in the water?
Further examination by Robin, your historian, Andy, Ricky and Blake. We never did figure it out.
And, we had Summer, Corey and Hollianne join us for some good clean-up fun, above and below the surface! Also, Jessica, Ricky joined with Blake to do the serious diving for deep stuff. Some escaped before we could get their pictures. Thanks also go to Ricky Haslam, Mary Belmore, Tom Atkins, Aralyn Lancaster, Judy Cain, Beth Archinal, Tim Parker and Summer Small. Apologies to any I missed.
Thank you everyone who helped!
Young Blake Dees of Fort White pulls his weight.
Tim Parker beaches his canoe.
John and Ashley Lanza
Sharon Yeago with Clean-up King Wayne Kinard of Amigos Dive Center.
River clean-ups are a way of life for Wayne.
Merrillee with veteran environmentalist Woody Blue. Andy Phelan in background.
Water clarity at the moment is super, allowing the ugly cans and bottles to be visible. Your writer would love to see restrictions on disposable containers enacted on the Santa Fe, as we have on the Rainbow.
Hollianne Page and Corey Osgood get the stuff in the deep parts. Great job and thanks.
Corey Osgood
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
Master Switch Freediving and Kings of the Springs were super happy to have worked rum island while you guys took care of the river. It felt great knowing that the run of the Santa Fe river was in good hands.
That blob looks like something that the PVC plant in High Springs used to dump along the river by boat ramp road.
We think you are correct, as Wayne Kinard has a few more of these things. The river had a dump site on it, just down from Boat Ramp Road and every once in a while strange stuff gets dislodged during high water conditions and float downstream. Though the blob weighs 90 pounds, it floats.
Always a great honor and my pleasure to help with cleanups in our beautiful rivers and lakes.
It makes me happy to be a small part of the larger group effort.
Never quit…Never give up.!!
And, we had Summer, Cory and HollyAnn join us for some good clean up fun, above and below the surface! Also, Jessica, Ricky joined with Blake to do the serious diving for deep stuff. Thank you everyone who helped!