The surprising debris volunteers found dumped in the Bronx River

NEW YORK - Volunteers have been cleaning parts of the Bronx River ahead of an annual event for kayakers and canoers happening this Saturday. They pulled out all sorts of debris, and some things you might never expect to be dumped in a river.

E-bikes, scooters among debris found in Bronx River

For years, the waters of the Bronx River have been used as a wasteland for people who might not understand its importance.

"What's unique about this place is that this is an urban river in a densely populated community," said Siddhartha Sanchez, the executive director at Bronx River Alliance.

"I would say it's really easy to have an out-of-sight, out-of-mind kind of mentality, and nothing ever truly disappears; it just goes somewhere else," explains ecology coordinator Christian Murphy.

That somewhere else is right here at the bottom of the river bank. That's why volunteers joined the Bronx River Alliance for a clean up.

"It's good that we get this amount of volunteers who care about their communities because one or two people really can't do it," said Joan Bennerson, a volunteer.

More than 20 volunteers stepped into the water and were able to pull out all sorts debris and trash, including things you might never expect. The Bronx River Alliance says they're constantly pulling out e-bikes and scooters from the water after riders dump them. They worry about the impact it could have on the water.

"We are probably removing e-bikes and scooters every single time we do a clean-up," said Murphy. "They're hard to get out. They're a mess. They're a nuisance."

CBS New York watched as volunteers located a spot in the river that was piled up with debris and garbage. In 30 minutes' time, the group cleared the majority of the debris along the bank. The organization is hoping the clean-up will fuel residents to take back the natural resources in the community.

"It changes the way people relate to nature, people relate to their community and what they see as theirs," Sanchez said.

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