Karen Reynolds of Environmental Canine Services with Logan, checking out a storm drain in Bangor, Maine. They’re scheduled to participate in a Rally for the Navesink meeting in Red Bank Wednesday, when environmentalists will discuss plans to clean the river of fecal coliform bacteria, an effort that will involve Logan and two other canines trained to sniff out the bacteria to track its source.
The Navesink is safe for boating, but that’s a “low bar” for quality, the group told Red Bank officials in a letter. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
A consortium of environmentalists, boaters and fishers is urging Red Bank officials to adopt measures to address recent spikes in bacterial contamination of the Navesink River.
As part of what it calls a “no-blame, find it, fix it” effort, the self-styled “Rally for the Navesink” group of seven organizations delivered a “letter to Red Bank” on the issue at Saturday’s Paddle the Navesink event at Maple Cove.
Clean Ocean Action founder Cindy Zipf addresses a ‘Rally for the Navesink’ audience at the First Presbyterian Church in Rumson Thursday night. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
Their species has been implicated as a likely suspect, but dogs may also be helpful in solving the mystery behind recent alarming spikes in bacterial pollution levels of the Navesink River, environmentalists say.
Canines trained to detect the presence of fecal coliform bacteria have been used to sniff water samples taken from the river, Clean Ocean Action attorney Zach Lees told attendees at a “Rally for the Navesink” held in Rumson Thursday night. And next month, they’re expected to be deployed in Red Bank and Fair Haven, to try to track down land-based sources of the bacteria, which occur in the intestines of warmblooded animals: humans, their pets and wildlife. More →
Brodie, the cat for whom the animal cancer nonprofit Brodie Fund is named, is the scheduled special guest for a fundraising morning of yoga and meditation, April 23 at Rumson Presbyterian Church.
It’s being billed as an opportunity to “spend time in Downward Facing Dog, Cat Pose and all your other favorite Asanas, while raising money to help pets fighting cancer.” On the morning of Saturday, April 23, the nonprofit Brodie Fund presents a special yoga and meditation session, hosted inside Wilson Hall at First Presbyterian Church of Rumson, and dedicated to the Fund’s efforts to help families pay for cancer treatments for their beloved dogs and cats.
Yoga instructor Rebecca Zaccagnino joins Brodie Fund founder Sally Williams (plus special guest, Brodie the Cat himself) for a class that’s scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. The class ends with a meditation, and attendees are invited to enjoy locally made muffins, homemade granola bars, fruit, water, coffee, tea and chat afterward.