Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway Hold Clean-Up Event

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Local Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and others pose for a photo during a clean-up of the Hutchinson River Greenway on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway

Local biking enthusiast and Bronxite, Kevin Daloia, recently re-formed the environmental group, Friends of the Hutchinson River Greenway. The volunteer group held its first clean-up of the greenway, located in the East Bronx, on Sunday, May 2, having postponed it by a week due to rain.

Below is a selection of photographs from the clean-up.

Local Boys Scouts of America troops take part in a clean-up of Hutchison River Greenway on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway

According to the group’s Facebook page, the Hutchinson River Greenway is a safe, clean and green, 3.5 mile, pedestrian and bicycle route from Brush Avenue to Einstein Loop.

Kevin Daloia, one of the organizers of the newly re-formed environmental group, Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway, celebrates the group’s clean-up efforts on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway

Based in the vicinity of Lehman High School, in the Pelham Bay section of the borough, under Tremont Avenue, the volunteers worked their way along the greenway in a northbound direction as far as Westchester Avenue Bridge.

A stretch of Hutchinson River Greenway was weeded and cleaned-up by Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway during a clean-up day on Sunday, May 2, 2021. (The photo was taken before the clean-up.)
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway

According to Daloia, the group totaled around 32 participants on the day, made up of a few local BSA (Boy Scouts of America) troops, local Parks groups, a few bike groups, and other local volunteers.

Volunteers with Five Boro Bike Club (5BBC), Bronx Committee for Transportation Alternatives (TABx) community members, and volunteers pose for a photo and show their love for the Bronx during a clean-up day along the Hutchinson River Greenway on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway.

He said they cleared the area of litter and repurposed five yards of soil and sediment that covered more than half the width of the greenway for a few hundred yards.

A stretch of Hutchinson River Greenway was weeded and cleaned-up by Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway during a clean-up on Sunday, May 2, 2021. (The photo was taken after the clean-up.)
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway

Representatives from the office of Bronx assemblyman, Michael Benedetto, a few district leaders, along with NYC Parks and NYC Sanitation employees also participated and supported the clean up, Daloia said. Benedetto represents A.D. 82 in the East Bronx.

“We are trying to grow [the group], and hold more nature walks, fun runs and family-friendly bike rides,” Daloia told the Norwood News.

A stretch of Hutchinson River Greenway was weeded and cleaned by Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway during a clean-up event held on Sunday, May 2, 2021. (The photo was taken after the clean-up.)
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway

Bronx River Alliance officials were grateful to the East Bronx volunteers for their clean-up efforts, tweeting out on Monday, May 3, “Thank you to everyone who supported #BronxRiver last weekend!”

The Alliance added, “We had a total of 111 volunteers and 69 bags of trash removed from our river. Major shout-outs go to @womenofwoodlawn, Friends of the Hutchinson River Greenway, @riverkeeper.”

According to its website, the Bronx River Alliance serves as a coordinated voice for the river, and works in harmonious partnership to protect, improve and restore the Bronx River corridor so that it can be a healthy ecological, recreational, educational and economic resource for the communities through which the river flows.

Other events in support of the Alliance also took place across The Bronx, the same weekend.

Members of 5BBC, TABx and Community Members pose for a photo during a clean-up day at Hutchinson River Greenway on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway

The Alliance also works in close partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to achieve their goals.
A full list of Bronx River Alliance partners can be viewed here.

Sharon Behnke with 5 Boro Bike Club, (5BBC) participates in a clean up event on Hutchinson River Parkway on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway

To check out future events organized by Bronx River Alliance, click on the following link: Bronx River Alliance Calendar.

Volunteers participate in a clean-up event of Hutchinson River Greenway on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway

Meanwhile, those interested in joining future events organized by Friends of Hutchinson River Greenway can check out the group’s website and social media pages, as follows:

https://hutchrivergreen.wixsite.com/website

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hutchrivergreen

Twitter: @HutchRiver

Instagram: Hutchrivergreen

Thank you to everyone who supported the #BronxRiver last weekend!

We had a total of 111 volunteers and 69 bags of trash removed from our river. Major shout outs go to @womenofwoodlawn, Friends of the Hutchinson River Greenway, @riverkeeper.

Upcoming: https://t.co/vf7ZorXimR pic.twitter.com/CHCfZ2Lq5Q

— Bronx River Alliance (@BxRiverAlliance) May 3, 2021

Norwood News previously reported on Daloia’s involvement with the installation of “Ghost Bike” memorials which honor cyclists who have been killed while biking in the City.

admin

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.