Little Tinicum Island, Phase 3
Valley Forge State Forest

Early on Saturday morning, May 15, 2004, volunteers spread out along the sandy beach of Little Tinicum Island, collecting tires, large objects, and bagging trash. The island, located off of Essington, PA in the Delaware River, accumulatestires, bottles, and every kind of floatable debris as they're deposited along the shoreline of the island during high tides and flooding. The trash is then trapped among the tree roots, driftwood and plant life as the tides recede.

Lunch was a welcome break mid-day and everyone continued to work as a team after lunch to complete the job.

PA CleanWays, Inc. organized the 67 volunteers, who donated 536 hours collecting 2.47 tons of tires, bagging nearly 3 tons of trash, and carrying everything by hand along the beach to the waiting barge. Later in the day, the group unloaded the barge and hauled the trash by hand up the docks, filling a 40-yard rolloff with trash and a 20-yard rolloff with tires.

Donated services were provided by West End Boat Club, Delaware Bay and River Co-op, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Harmon Recycling and Hauling, American Ref-Fuel, Waste Management of Delaware Valley, Sami Rose Culinary Productions and PA Fish and Boat Commission.

DCNR encourages Delaware County residents with questions about recycling or proper disposal to contact their county Recycling Coordinator at (610) 892-9716.

Valley Forge State Forest Cleanup Team American Ref-Fuel Delaware Bay and River Co-op Delaware County Community Service Department of Environment Protection Harmon Recycling and Hauling Johnny on the Spot, Inc. PA CleanWays, Inc. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Sami Rose Culinary Productions USCG Auxiliary Valley Forge State Forest Personnel Waste Management of Delaware Valley - South Transfer West End Boat Club

Valley Forge State Forest is comprised of 912 acres, spread out over six separate tracts located in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Lehigh, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. The forest is home to four unusual natural areas that are open to the public. These areas include Goat Hill Serpentine Barrens, which protects a nationally rare ecosystem of pitch pine and hardy plants that can endure metal-laden soil formed from the underlying serpentinite rock, and Little Tinicum Island, a forested tidal flat in the Delaware River, accessible only by boat. Also, included are the David R. Johnson Natural Area and the Ruth Zimmerman Natural Area.

Learn about other illegal dump sites in state forests and parks.

This page last updated August 26, 2004.

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