To the editor:
On Saturday, April 27, 53 volunteers carried out various service activities in Lee to celebrate the 54th Earth Day. Volunteer turnout was the second highest in the eight years Lee’s Greener Gateway Committee has held the event. Originally established to clean up litter from the town’s roadsides, the scope has expanded to also encompass controlling invasive species and caring for public gardens downtown.
The corps of volunteers included individual residents and employees from the following local businesses: Lee Healthcare/The Landing, Oak ’n Spruce, Old Navy, and Canna Provisions. Members of the Lee Lions Club and the Lee Chamber of Commerce also participated. Other local businesses also supported the event, with pizza donations from 51 Park and the Locker Room, and a gift card from Big Y used to buy more pizza, fruit, and other goodies. Casella provided half a dozen trash and recycle bins and handled the processing of everything the volunteers collected. And the Chamber of Commerce provided mulch for the downtown gardens.
This annual event succeeds because Lee residents and businesses join hands to help improve our corner of the planet. We couldn’t do this without them!
The work carried out by volunteers was more varied than ever and included weeding, removing leaves, and picking up some litter at the triangle garden near the Mass Pike exit; weeding, pruning, and mulching at the downtown gardens near the Chamber of Commerce’s information booth and in the alleyway behind Town Hall; weeding along the verges on High Street; cutting vines and removing invasive species in Golden Hill Town Forest; and picking up litter along Woodland Road and downtown.
We accomplished so much on this one day, but there is so much that still needs attention. Battling invasive species is an ongoing challenge, as is taking care of downtown gardens. Our committee holds work days the last Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., meeting behind the Arioldi Building across from the Post Office. To learn more, please contact me at Valerie4748@gmail.com.
Valerie Bluhm
Lee
EDITOR’S NOTE:Â Valerie Bluhm is vice chair of the Lee Greener Gateway Committee.
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