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Nurturing Nature

Nurturing Nature

On April 2nd, Team Cotto volunteers and I joined at least 100 other Delawareans statewide helping to pick up trash and debris affecting the natural lands and water resources that make up our local Christina River Watershed. This was the 30th annual (!) Christina Watershed cleanup–spearheaded by DNREC (the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control), the Christina Conservancy, and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary–and it gave our campaign team and I plenty of impactful environmental issues to reflect on as we explored our Sixth District’s Fox Point State Park.

Fox Point is a tiny sliver of parkland situated right on the Delaware River coastline, just to the east of Bellefonte and Interstate 495; all-in-all, the Park’s a very manageable 100 acres total. Perfect for taking the dog for a walk, or the kids to the playground.

Over decades of adjacent heavy industry, the Park’s soil has been contaminated by waste, sewage, and air pollution from nearby factories. You wouldn’t know it now, as a walk through Fox Point presents you with gorgeous views of the River, the Delaware Memorial Bridge, and even the Philadelphia skyline. (Of course, that heavy industry can still be within your field of vision at any turn, too.)

Hazardous waste remediation efforts have made much of Fox Point safer for park-goers over the past couple of decades; however, it’s my belief that, when it comes to environmental pollution and contamination, less band-aids should be used and more concrete solutions must be demanded and then researched, reviewed, and implemented by the Delaware legislature.

Investing in clean energy solutions should not be controversial, particularly if you care about the soil, waterways, and air that we are leaving for future generations of Delawareans. I wholeheartedly acknowledge that cleaning up trash in Fox Point State Park this month with my friends isn’t going to ever come close to reversing the consequences of man-made climate change. But–it reminded me of how beautiful our district, our state, and our world can be when we think, “how do we make this better, and what’s next?” rather than, “trying to change things will just be too hard–so why bother?”

Becca

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