Earth Day 2016

26-April-2016

   On Saturday-23-April Bogota Beautiful  hosted their second annual Earth Day clean-up.  Over 100 volunteers ignored the clouds and drizzle to meet at Olsen Park . After a meet and greet warm up, led by Isabel Bustamante, Bogota Mayor Chris Keleman thanked those who turned out to help with the clean up. Mayor Keleman then read a proclamation from Borough Council naming Friday & Saturday 22-& 23 April as Earth Days in Bogota NJ. Then that Bogota Beautiful's Chairperson  Amaru Bustamante talked about what the projects are for this years Earth Day. He said that last years event had been so successful in cleaning Olsen Park that the Bogota DPW has been able to maintain the cleanliness of the park started by the volunteers for 2015.  This year Bogota Beautiful had four target areas to work on. One was a two part project of cleaning the W. Main St. business district. The first part was picking trash and clearing the sidewalks of leaves and weeds.  The second part was to  do the spring planting of the pots along the curb. New centre pieces were added to  seven of the eight planters, with a single tree remaining from last year. A quartet of  light purple violets were then planted around the edge.

    Another project was the area around the railroad crossing on Ft. Lee rd . The volunteer groups split in half with one taking care of W. Ft. Lee rd around the Antique shops up to railroad property. While the other took on E. Ft Lee rd and continued down West Shore Ave to the VFW.  At these site large pile of leaves  were pulled out into the open to dispose of. Also large item such as old lawn chairs and other trash was taken out to be disposed of properly.

  A third group when to the Bogota Swim Club parking lot and clean up trash, weeds and other overgrowth  along with sweeping the sidewalk to the Swim Club entrance. A final group travel to Bogota High School and clean up there. The front oval was cleaned and weeded and dead branches removed from the shrubs. The South side of the building was also  given some maintenance. The flower bed were weeds, and freshened while old plants and dried items were stacked up to be remove. 

  The volunteers made separate piles which consisted of old lawn items and plants. recyclable item and general trash. All of these piles were removed by the Bogota DPW. 

   The next project of Bogota Beautiful will be the Yoga in the Park starting in May. Another is to assist  with the Bogota Community Garden in May and June. The Bogota Community Garden was granted the use of Borough property along River Rd near W. Ft. Lee near the World War I Memorial. On Thursday 21-April the Bogota Borough Council approved the creation of the Bogota Community Garden as an organization under the Bogota Environmental Commissioner.  

   For more information about Bogota Beautiful  and their upcoming projectsplease visit their website at:    http://www.bogotabeautiful.com/  or email them at: bogotabeautiful@gmail.com 

     

Sign-up and warming up

 Ft. Lee Rd/ West Shore Ave.

Swim Club Parking lot

W. Main St.

 and adding new plants

Afterwards

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