The Hawthorne High School Ecology Club, along with the club adviser and HHS science teacher Scott Crimmel, took a trip to the Hackensack River on Friday May 30, 2014, to teach students about the history of the river and how it is being successfully cleaned up from its very polluted past.

The trip consisted of a two-and-a-half hour eco-cruise through the Hackensack River and the Meadowlands. The cruise had a tour guide who explained the different sites, wild life, and surroundings.

HHS Ecology Club member and senior Natalie Tousignant said, “We got to see a bunch of different types of birds, and it was cool to see the area with a tour guide who could really explain everything.”

The Ecology Club was appalled to learn about the extent of pollution taking place in their own backyard. According to Hackensack Riverkeeper’s official website, an organization that helps to keep the Hackensack River clean and unpolluted, “[The] growing population turned to the Hackensack [River] and other waterways of the region as a place to dispose of the waste they generated. Waterborne diseases became rampant as the waters became repositories for all sorts of filth.”

Fortunately, this pollution problem was caught and there are various organizations like Hackensack Riverkeepers who are continuously making sure that the river stays clean and unpolluted. HackensackRiverkeeper.org states that the organization “continues to build coalitions to combat urban environmental pollution and to make the polluters pay to clean up the messes they’ve made.”

When asked about the trip, Crimmel said he believes it was definitely a success. He said Ecology Club students learned very interesting information and were also able to see different species living in the area. He added, “We learned how the Hackensack River water quality has improved greatly thanks to the Hackensack Riverkeeper organization, and how they continue to work towards making the river safe.  Not only did we learn all about its history, but [we] also saw some cool birds like a Bald Eagle, threatened Black Skimmers, and an endangered Peregrine Falcon!”