Jo Ellen Litz, President of the Swatara Creek Watershed Association and Lebanon County Commissioner, provided this account of the 2009 Swatara Creek Sojourn and Cleanup.

On May 2-3 the Swatara Creek Watershed Association and many its partners held the 21st Annual Swatara Creek Sojourn and Cleanup with attracted 138 participants. The sojourn started at Pine Grove, Schuylkill County where Route 645 meets Route 443. The Little Swatara Creek also meets the main stem Swatara at this location.

 

Thanks to the cooperation of Heinbaugh Trailer Park owners, the Swatara Water Trail starts at this point. Young and old help with this day of enjoying the outdoors, communing with nature, exercise, recreation, appreciating the scenic beauty along the Swatara, geologic formations and leaving the Swatara a little better than we found it.

 

 

After a safety briefing, participants floated the Swatara and picked up trash along the way. You will see a trailer load of tires plucked from the Swatara. A recently completed boat launch at Jonestown, Lebanon County was the start of Day two.

 

The DCNR and Jonestown Borough, especially Mayor George Kaufman, deserve special thanks for this beautiful and functional access. Pervious parking is part of the design. Day one started with drizzle, but cleared away as the day wore on.

 

Conversely, Day two started out dry, but the rain started and came down steadily the whole trip. About one-half of the paddlers were so hardy that they finished the entire trip.

 

Special thanks to ground support who faithfully see the Sojourners through each day, from Laurie Andrews (a..k.a. Girl Friday), Dick and June Blouch (fabulous casseroles, June!), Norm Brandt (now 82, participated in the first sojourn), Tom (shuttle man) Embich, Ann and Dave (pizza delivery) Lasky, Jack (tire man) Stouffer, and we can not forget Bill and Ruth (who needs a canoe) Wise.

 

The event can not take place without many community sponsors: the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, First Energy, Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority, Heinbaugh Trailer Park, Hershey Foods, Rhonda R. Hess & Associates , Izaak Walton League, League of Women Voters of Lebanon County, Lebanon County Conservation District , Lebanon Valley Conservancy, Lickdale Campgrounds, National River Cleanup Week, Northern Swatara Creek Watershed Association, Simon Kettering, PA American Water Company, Fish & Boat Commission, PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers--POWR, Schuylkill County Conservation District, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Swatara Watershed Association, Union Canal Canoe Rentals, Weidle Sanitation, Swiss Premium Dairy.

 

Visit the Swatara Sojourn webpage for more photos and YouTube postings.