Annual Watershed Fest Oct. 2

MILLSTONE — The Stony Brook- Millstone Watershed Association will host a fundraiser that combines fine food, music and fun with a celebration of water and the environment on Oct. 2.

“Water Works: The 35th Annual Watershed Fest” begins at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 2 with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live music and a silent auction at the 860-acre Watershed Reserve in Hopewell. The event will conclude with dinner served by Emily’s Café and Catering and a live auction featuring the chance to take home trips, tickets, jewelry, restaurant packages and more, according to a press release from the watershed association.

“Water works for us in so many ways,” JimWaltman, executive director of the watershed association, said in the press release. “We depend on clean water for industry and recreation, healthy habitats and our very survival.”

For more than 60 years, the watershed association has worked diligently to protect clean water and the environment throughout central New Jersey. The nonprofit organization protects the 265-square-mile region drained by the Stony Brook and Millstone River — an area spanning 26 towns and five counties, including Millstone and Roosevelt.

“From restoring thousands of feet of stream and hauling more than 10 tons of trash out of area waterways, to securing state-level protections and essential funding

for our water and open space, we’ve made significant strides, but there’s more work to be done,” Waltman said.

Earlier this year, the watershed association released its first “State of the Watershed Report,” which combined water quality, environmental policy and land use analysis to illustrate the health and status of our watershed region. The report found that “people pollution,” everything from trash and excess fertilizers to leaking septic and sewer systems and pet waste, is having a big impact on the health of our water and environment. Individual action, strong policies at the local and state level, and smart land use decisions are needed to improve the health and quality of the water and environment, according to the report, which can be found on the association’s website.

“It’s up to each of us to make a difference for our water and environment,” Waltman said. “The support of our friends and community at the Watershed Fest is critical to ensuring we have clean water and healthy habitats today and for future generations to enjoy.”

“Water Works: The 35th Annual Watershed Fest” is co-chaired by Watershed Association trustee Bill Carmean, advisory board member Nancy Ross and trustee Marylou Ferrara.

“My wife [Nancy Ross] and I are proud to be a part of this important event,” Carmean said in the press release. “The Watershed Fest provides essential support for watershed association’s conservation, advocacy, science and education efforts.”

Ferrara said, “For 35 years, the community has shown it cares deeply about our water and environment with the Watershed Fest. Come … and celebrate a new era of environmental success and responsibility to protect our water and environment.”

“Water Works: 35th Annual Watershed Fest” tickets cost $185. To purchase tickets or to learn more, call 609-737-3735, ext. 28, or visit www.thewatershed.org/news-andevents/ watershedfest.