When the Mount Laurel Green Team was created in 2010, the group consisted of five people.
This volunteer committee run by the township has now grown to more than a dozen active members and often sees well more than 50 people at its annual township cleanups held every April.
This year’s cleanup will be held on April 16 from 9 a.m. to noon.
The group will meet at the township community center and set out to beautify a number of areas in town by cleaning up litter.
Volunteers will be provided with gloves, bags and snacks after their morning of work.
“This trash is an eyesore and would eventually end up polluting our rivers and oceans if it is not collected,” secretary of the Green Team Ed Cohen said. “It is also an excellent opportunity to see some Mt. Laurel open space up close.”
Alongside township manager and chair of the Green Team Maureen Mitchell, Cohen has been the secretary of the team for the last five years.
“I joined the team to help encourage sustainable practices in Mt. Laurel by residents, visitors, businesses and the township itself,” he said.
Cohen said each person’s reason for joining the team is different. Everyone comes to the Green Team with their own passion, whether that is recycling, cleanups, gardening or other reasons.
The group focuses on letting each person pursue this passion by empowering them to put on programs, find information and speak with the town council, a group that regularly attends the Green Team meetings.
“Most people recognize that our society does not always take actions based on long-term planning,” Cohen said.
The Green Team educates others and encourages smarter choices.
A prime example of this would be the group’s encouraging of the township to reduce mowing by planting wildflowers. The reduction of mowing saves money, provides more natural space and reduces pollution caused by mowing.
Cohen expressed a specific fondness toward the education and outreach aspect of the Green Team.
The group will be hosting a question and answer with certified master gardener Joan Johnson at the community garden on April 30, a free movie about climate change followed by a discussion panel on May 17 and a Monarch Butterfly presentation on June 5.
The team also plans to host a shredding event at the same time as the cleanup on April 16. Folks are encouraged to bring their bags and/or boxes of papers to be shredded and then join the cleanup next door.
“One-hundred percent of the shredded paper from this event is recycled,” Cohen said.
The Green Team makes it a priority to host regular meetings in a fun, productive and educational manner. Anyone interested in becoming a team member is encouraged to attend these meetings.
“To make significant changes, the community as a whole must recognize that everything they do and everything they don’t do makes a difference. Most people are busy, but the Mount Laurel Green Team would love to reach them and get greater involvement,” Cohen said.
Like the Mount Laurel Township Green Team Facebook page for more information.
Folks who are interested in participating in the annual cleanup on April 16 can register by contacting Director of Municipal Services Jerry Mascia at jmascia@mountlaurel.com or (856) 234–0001 ext. 1223.
To get involved with more cleanups in Burlington County, contact ecohen@vision-edge.com.
