Many hands make light work … 23 volunteers showed to clean up Rte. 82.

Almost two dozen volunteers from East Haddam, Lyme and beyond turned out on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 23, to clean trash and litter from an eight-mile section of Rte. 82 in Hadlyme.

The community clean-up effort was organized by two Hadlyme residents, Matt Elgart and Humphrey Tyler, and supported by seven Hadlyme civic groups and two local businesses.

An enthusiastic volunteer hard at work.

The 23 volunteers met at the Hadlyme Country Market in the morning and spent the next two hours picking up trash and litter on Rte. 82 from Two Wrasslin’ Cats Coffee House in East Haddam south to the Hadlyme Four Corners in Lyme and east out the Salem-Norwich Road (Rte. 82)  to its intersection with Baker Ln. and Three Bridges Ln.

No space was out of bounds for the trash pick-up!

Trash bags were donated by Shagbark Lumber and Farm Supply, and the Hadlyme Country Market provided free coffee for the volunteers.

The clean-up was supported by Hadlyme Public Hall, Hadlyme North School Society, East Haddam Land Trust, Friends of Whalebone Cove, Lyme Land Conservation Trust, Hadlyme Hall Garden Club, and the Town of Lyme Open Space Office.

All ages participated in the clean-up effort.

The volunteers were Christine Carter, Chih-Wu Su, Dave Schweitzer, Emilia Schweitzer, Mathias Schweitzer, Wendy & Tom Miller, Rob Smith, Joene Hendry, Mel Woody, Curt and Barbara Michael, Maureen and Bernie Gillis, Diana and Will Fiske, Joan Motyka, Greg Miller, Karen Wiswell, Marion Buck, and the organizers, Elgart and Tyler.

This volunteer proudly displays the fruits of his labor.

Elgart and Tyler said they hope to organize future clean-ups of Rte. 82 and the litter conditions along the highway warrant it. Anyone interested in participating can reach them through Friends of Whalebone Cove at fowchadlyme@gmail.com .