Environmental group helps preserve wetlands
Ducks Unltd. holds 2nd annual cleanup of sedge islands
BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

Gere Ricker (l-r), John Hanson and Lou Tocci have a full load of refuse cleaned up from the sedge islands in the Navesink River.

MONMOUTH BEACH - By the second year of cleaning up the sedge islands in the Shrewsbury River, the members of the Monmouth County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited could see that their efforts are making a difference.

According to Gere Ricker, a member of the volunteer organization, there was less debris to clean up this year, which is a promising sign.

"You wouldn't believe some of what we found last year," he said in an interview last week. "We found about half of an antique speed boat from the 1960s. You could tell some of the pieces of garbage had been there a while. This year it seemed like we were finding newer garbage, and that's a good thing."

Both the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers are subjected to the effects of tidal flows that bring in floating debris from New York Harbor and Raritan Bay. As a group, Monmouth County Ducks Unlimited has committed to do their part to keep things beautiful and clean for the fish, waterfowl and animals that call these tidal marshes home.

"We are hopeful that our efforts will help in some way to ensure that the sedge islands continue to be a place of beauty for all to enjoy for years to come," said Ricker.

The group met in Monmouth Beach and ventured out to the sedge islands on Sept. 29 with about a dozen members to clean up litter that had washed up on the shore of the islands over the past year.

"We're just trying to do our part," Ricker said.

Ducks Unlimited is a national group whose members have been working to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl since 1937, according to the organization's Web site.

Not only do waterfowl of all varieties benefit from these efforts, but other wildlife and people do as well.

Since Ducks Unlimited was first established, the organization has raised over $1 billion and conserved nearly 10 million acres of wetland habitat throughout all 50 states, according to a press release from the Monmouth County chapter.

"We plan to meet again next year in the fall to continue the good work that has been started," Ricker said. "We are always looking for volunteers to help out with the efforts."

Ricker, who has been involved with the Monmouth County chapter for about five years, said some members go back as far as 20 years, and that the local chapter is looking to join forces with other local organizations.

"We've kicked around the idea of meeting with other groups like Clean Ocean Action," said Ricker. "They do a beach cleanup every year. A lot of people are doing things on the beaches, but not a lot of people are addressing the wetlands. That's why we started doing the island cleanup. For the most part, we're about raising money for preservation of wetlands throughout the country."

The largest local fundraiser of the year for Ducks Unlimited is the annual banquet, which will be held this year at the Channel Club in Monmouth Beach on Nov. 3.

"We usually get between 150 and 200 people," said Ricker. "It's really a sponsorship dinner, where we're looking for big-ticket sponsors for our causes, but everyone is welcome."

Tickets for the dinner may be obtained by calling Chris Mosley at (732) 780-6787, ext. 105. The cost for dinner is $75, but Ricker said people who can donate more are encouraged to do so.