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‘Jewels’ of Chester County

I started this idea for a project a couple of years ago, and lately, I’ve seen an increase of ‘jewels’ and in some very unusual places.

Over the years, it has not been uncommon for me to see small pieces of trash along the way, but there are other times…

In the early days, some of my captures were just looking at oddities that I came across.

Rusty Paint Cans 018
Rusty Paint Cans 018 – Below Marsh Creek Dam in Downingtown, Chester County PA

When the Mark Creek Lake was drained of 8 feet of water in late 2012, I found some more items…

Sometimes, not all is trash!

It is amazing how some folks will just leave ‘stuff’.

These images were taken just last week on a Sunday walk with my son along the Rim Trail in Hibernia Park [Map].

If you can carry it in, you should be able to carry it out!

Here in Chester County PA, we are very lucky to have groups like the Brandywine Valley Association, that organize demonstrations in local grade schools, and several years ago, I even volunteered for a day, when my daughter was in the 4th grade at Uwchlan Hills Elementary School (UHES)!

During the Event, there are several stations with each showing a different phase in how the Water System works  – It rains, the water washes over the roads and lawns, picking up various ‘elements’; flowing into the myriad of streams and creeks then into the Brandywine; the effects on the macro/micro organisms that are used to identify the health of the water; water treatment facilities to drinking water.  Full circle!

In the Fall of 2014, the new Marsh Creek 6th Grade Center (MC6GC) opened here in Downingtown, and one of the first field trips of the new school years, was to Paradise Farm Camps.

During the course of the day, each group of kids was introduced to new skills such as rope courses, teamwork building, collecting live samples and orienteering. By the end of the day my Fitbit had logged just over 9 miles walking!

What was very wonderful to see, that the same skills that were introduced during the Red stream Blue stream at UHES, were now being reconnected ‘in the field’ while the children were tasked to search for various specimens in the pond and stream that are part of Paradise Farm Camps.

But alas, even they had succumbed to the intrusion of the modern vehicle…

Earlier this year, in April, I volunteered again to help the MC6GS Science classes in their first (hopefully continuing) measurement of Shamona Creek.

During each session, the students would record the creek’s temperatures, ph/acidity, velocity, volume and the various macro/micro creatures found in the waterway.

At the beginning of the day, as we approached the testing locations, I noticed a car battery, on the bank of the creek, about 4 feet from the water’s edge.

Some of the cosmetic case had been cracked, and there was no way to tell how long it had been there. I picked it up and moved it closer to the road.

During the rest of the day, the car battery sat there, as a reminder to all what some folks are doing to the environment.

At the end of the day, we took it back to the school for disposal.

Other times, I seem to find items, that have just been swept away…

Then there are days, you still have to scratch your head!

Plastic Doll Head 037
Image taken while on an early spring walk at Stroud Preserve in Chester County PA

Knowing the area, it is very difficult to imagine how this plastic doll head got to this spot!

I did get a nice little note from the Stroud Preserve

“Oh dear! I’ll let our preserve manager know there’s litter out there!”

“As for the dry “ponds,” a few years back we restored the stream running through Stroud by removing the dams, which allowed land to convert from ponds (man-made and not good for water quality) to wetlands (more diverse than coral reefs and wonderful for filtering water).” – Stroud Preserve

Controversy

I have recently been reading several articles about the new Wyoming law that now

makes it a crime to “collect resource data”… including taking a “photograph”…Slate.com

But as the article goes on to say, the law is unconstitutional.

Here is a list of additional Links –

Needless to say, I have been a little anxious about Posting this…

Anyhow…

I hope to encourage you, when out walking about in Nature –

  1. Do Not Litter!
  2. If you see something, Pick It Up!
  3. Try to leave a place better than you found it!

If you have any Thoughts or Comments, please let me know!

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More Local Recycling Info

I am in the process of renovating three 30-year-old bathrooms in our house, and was wondering how I might recycle the sinks, toilets, tubs and tiles.

So I posted to my wall on Facebook, within minutes the Downingtown Borough answered –

We do not have a recycling program for construction debris. You would have to contact a private hauling company or check with the Chester County Solid Waste Authority

Very quick response!

They also suggested that I try Uwchlan Township and Home Eclective.

I had never heard of Home Eclective, but after a quick look at their Facebook page, I will need to revisit!

I went back to my Task, and on to the Uwchlan Township website to see if I could find any answers, and found that their Trash & Recycling page is much like the Downingtown page.

At the moment, Uwchlan Township does not have a Facebook or Twitter account to follow, but “Coming Soon“!

Both the Downingtown and Uwchlan pages reference heavily the Chester County Solid Waste Authority (CCSWA), and I have also referenced them in the past in “eWaste Recycling in Downingtown“.

The unfortunate part, Chester County Solid Waste Authority, has NOT updated their Facebook page since October 26, 2012.

Fortunately, the CCSWA does have a website!

I was able to find a list of “Recycling Sites for Construction Demolition/Land Clearing Debris“, but still no direct mention of sinks, toilets, tubs, and tiles.

I have used their contact page to ask about my recycling questions, and await a response.

In the mean time, while on the CCSWA site, I decided to look up this year’s “Household Hazardous Waste Disposal” calendar, but it still has not been posted.

If you happen to know anything that might help, please feel free to contact me!

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Links

Update

March 3 2015 – As mentioned above/earlier, I sent Contact Request via the Chester County Solid Waste Authority (CCSWA) Website, and I have already gotten a response!

“You may want to contact the “Restore” on Lancaster Avenue next to Amelia’s supermarket east of Coatesville to see if they would be interested in any of those items. There is also one in Kennett Square.” – Nancy J. Fromnick, Chester County Recycling Coordinator, CCSWA

This would be great if the stuff that I had were really reusable.

“Restore” seems to be an off-shoot of Habitat For Humanity of Chester County, and has a local Facebook Page, and can be found at 1853 Lincoln Hwy E Coatesville, PA 19320.

I do have ‘stuff’ that could be reused in construction, that I over bought on, and can easily be re-used, but the stuff that I have, is beyond the point of helping in its present form.

So Builders and Contractors, if you got some Odds and Ends in your Inventory, and want to put it to good use, Restore seems to be a good bet!

Quotes

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.” – Mark Twain

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eWaste Recycling in Downingtown area

Like many folks, I want to do my part in trying to save the planet by recycling the various things that I use, and over the years, I have collected a few things…

Sometimes it is not easy to know what to do with a collection, and things like eBay, are not the best or easiest solution, so…

So I have put together a Post on where to Recycle eWaste in the Downingtown, Chester County PA area, for those that might be experiencing a similar situation.

If know of any other ways to locally recycle eWaste, please let me know!

Borough of Downingtown

The Borough of Downingtown also maintains a website for Recycling, which include such things as:

  • Trash & Recycling on Tuesdays
  • Bulk Trash on the LAST Tuesday of the Month
  • Tree Limb Chipping on the 2nd Monday of the Month (Appointment Only)

For more information, please check the website, or their Facebook page.

Chester County Solid Waste Authority

Bet you have never heard of these folks, but they help run many of the local recycling efforts, and should be first on your list of places to check.

The map below show what is going on currently in the Chester County area:


View 2013 Regional Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Collection Program in a larger map

Additional Links can be found at their main website, chestercountyswa.org.

There is also a Facebook page, where you can also “Like” them!

RecyclingCenters.org

Doing a quick search on recyclingcenters.org, can also be helpful if you have something more unique.

Best Buy

This was another national company that I found that has an eWaste program, and has a local drop-off policy.

I called the store in Downingtown, and spoke with someone in the Geek Squad about what to do when you bring in your 3 items per day limit.

You do not need to call ahead, but you are asked to bring items to the Customer Service people at Geek Squad desk, at the right when you walk in.

If you have more than one item or need help, it is requested that you contact the Security for further assistance.

§ § § § §

Hopefully, this information will help someone else in the area!

I do plan to up-date the page as needed, so please, if you find something, please let me know!

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