SCMUA holds Earth Day event

LAFAYETTE — The Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority and the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group recently hosted their 11th annual Earth Energy Day Celebration at the SCMUA’s Recycling Facility in Lafayette.
Over 360 Sussex County students in Kindergarten through 6th grade attended the event. Participating schools included Reverend Brown Memorial School, Wantage Elementary School, Long Pond School, Hardyston Elementary School, Hilltop Country Day School, Immaculate Conception Regional School, and Helen Morgan School. Students rotated through a series of hands-on stations led by USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), The Nature Conservancy, Sussex County Clean Communities, Eastern Propane, Cornerstone Environmental Group, Waste Management, SCS Engineers, and the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador program.
Additionally, middle school students from Montague Township presented their Future City design project and described how waste would be managed within their proposed community. Every station provided information and educational lessons about environmental issues such as proper solid waste disposal, recycling, watershed management, alternative energy, protection of natural resources, and individual energy conservation practices.
In order to promote a sense of giving back to the community, a food drive for the DASI food pantry was also conducted as part of the event.
Overall, the day was a tremendous success with all of the students leaving the SCMUA with a greater sense of how to protect the natural environment in their local community through active stewardship.