Peter Davis
	The River Keeper

Why did you want to be a River Keeper?

Well, one day I was walking through Edgewood Park and I saw air conditioners, shopping carts, all sorts of debris in the West River and no one was cleaning them. So the next day me and some friends starting cleaning up the West River and Edgewood. So it wasn't just because I wanted to be a River Keeper, it just upset me that there was garbage in the river. And things just worked out that way. I started with the West and went over to the Mill, and the Quinnipiac. I've been doing this for eighteen years now, keeping the rivers clean.

What is your favorite part about doing your job?

My favorite part starts in May, and that's when we take kids canoeing and that's a lot of fun. It's exciting and the kids really enjoy it. They see all kinds of birds and wildlife. That's the best part of the job.

What was the most exciting part about your job?

The most exciting thing, again, is seeing the joy of people on the river because eighteen years ago, no one was canoeing the river. The rivers were not being used for anything except trashcans. And to see people get excited about being in a canoe, that’s a joy to me.

Have you ever found any animals in the river and if so, what?

All kinds of fish, birds, turtles, snakes.

Have you found anything of value in the river and if so, what?

I guess old bottles that are sixty or seventy years old from plants that used to work along the river, that’s probably the most valuable thing I have ever found.

What was the biggest thing you have ever found?

A car, and in the past eighteen years, we've removed seven cars from the various rivers in New Haven. That's the biggest thing.

What is the most dangerous part about your job?

The most dangerous part is finding toxic waste, I would say. And dealing with oil, gasoline, propane tanks, car batteries and also falling out of the canoe trying to pick these up. You got to be careful.

What was the saddest thing you have ever experienced as part of your job?

One of the saddest things was, not just seeing old trash, but finding animals that had died because the water was so polluted.  And once I found cat that someone hung by the river, and that was pretty sad.  

Do you work on weekends and why?

Well, on weekends is the main time that I can get volunteers to help. Because I can't do it alone, it is too much work, lifting sofas and refrigerators and that kind of stuff that people dump. So most of the reason is that it is the time that volunteers are available.

What was the most polluted river you have ever worked in?

The most polluted river? I would say the West, the West River.

Do you think your job has any effect on the water quality?

Definitely, since we have taken out so much toxic material and also we've campaigned heavily on people not dumping that, that's really had an impact on the water quality.

To a student who’s interested in being a River Keeper in the future, what advice would you give?

I would say study hard in school and especially botany, biology, and do some weight lifting. And learn how to canoe..learn how to paddle.

Can you tell us a story that will convince us to take care of the river?

I can tell you many stories. I guess one story is actually close to your school, Cold Spring, down on Lloyd Street there was one morning I was driving by and I saw a huge tractor trailor truck. And inside there was about fifteen 55 gallon drums filled with oil and gas. It was about five feet away from the river and if it had gotten into the water, it would of polluted and killed animals and also it could of blown up and hurt people.

Since you have been doing your job do you think the water quality has been getting better or worse?

Better, because people are using the river now and also there are major construction projects going on that separate the sewer lines from the water lines. And that means that the day of raw sewage getting into the river is over and it goes to a plant and gets filtered and the water, like it's supposed to rain tomorrow, it just goes right into the river. But one problem with that is when people litter on the street, that can be washed into the river following a rain storm. But overall the water quality has really gotten much better in the Quinnipiac and the Mill where the construction projects are complete. The West still has major problems with the raw sewage.

What was your very first assignment?

My very first assignment, I would say about eighteen years ago, in Edgewood Park, like I said before, there was a air conditioner, parts of cars. So there was a flood about five years before that and it brought a lot of debris into the river but no one cleaned it. They would clean along the trails, but no one cleaned the river. And so my first assignment was to clean that part of the West River that flows through Edgewood Park.

Why do you think people dump things in the river?

Because, several reasons, one is because they don’t want to take it to the proper place for it, where it costs money to dispose of, like the New Haven Landfill, our transport station. Secondly, they think no one cares about the river. So instead of taking it to the New Haven Landfill, they just toss it in the river. And thirdly, I think people like to see a shopping cart splash into the river and so they throw things to see a big splash. Fourth reason is because they're just lazy and it's quicker to dump it in the river than take it to its proper place.

If you were granted one wish that you could make to help the river, what would it be?

If I had one wish, I would wish that everyone that lives in New Haven would go canoeing and enjoy the fun of paddling in the rivers. Because if that wish came true, I think that people would see that the rivers are more important, and they are fun, and it is so important to protect them. A lot of people fish, but I think it is more exciting to get in a boat and paddle.