Maersk Inc of Giralda Farms Donation

On Thursday, July, 15, 2004, Maersk Inc. of Giralda Farms, Madison, NJ presented the Great Swamp Watershed Association with a generous donation to help preserve and protect the streams and wetlands of the Great Swamp’s fifty five square mile watershed. 

One of the largest shipping companies in the world and winner of numerous awards including “Best Global Shipping Line” in May 2004, Maersk became a member of the Great Swamp Watershed Association’s Corporate Council in 2003. Members of the council share the goal of creating a clean and healthy environment where their employees live and work. Since joining, Maersk has continuously supported the Association’s mission to “help protect the places you love and the water you drink” through the Adopt-a-Stream program.

According to Ruth Kerkeslager, Development Director of the Great Swamp Watershed Association, “We are delighted to partner with a company that recognizes the value of community service and conserving the watershed.”

Located at the Giralda Farms office complex in Madison, Maersk is bordered by Loantaka Brook, the most polluted of the five major stream systems in the Great Swamp Watershed. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus in all of these streams disrupt cycles of plant growth and decay, and interfere with many of their biological functions. As a result, streams are unable to nourish bio-diversity or cleanse and replenish drinking water supplies. The Adopt-a-Stream program will improve the quality of these local waterways by reducing pollution, proposing and implementing solutions, and monitoring them. 

At the heart of the watershed is the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, where all five streams join to form the Passaic River. Only several miles downstream, this river becomes the source of drinking water for over 1.2 million people in Northern New Jersey. Consequently, what happens in the Great Swamp Watershed area affects more than just those who live in the watershed.

After receiving the donation, Great Swamp Watershed Association Executive Director Julia Somers expressed her desire that “other local businesses will take the initiative from Maersk and give back to the community.”

The Great Swamp Watershed Association was founded in 1981 to protect the Great Swamp watershed basin. Celebrating twenty three years as a non-profit organization, the Watershed Association relies on membership and contributions to help protect the continued health of this valuable natural resource. For information on becoming a member and to learn about upcoming events, visit the Watershed Association website at www.greatswamp.org. 

Photo: Thomas Thune Andersen, President and CEO of Maersk Inc presenting a check to 
Julia Somers, Executive Director of the Great Swamp Watershed Association.

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