Residents Participate in International Coastal Cleanup

Local residents, along with the Glen Cove Beautification Commission, participated in the 25th annual International Coastal Cleanup at Pryibil Beach on Saturday.

By 10:00 a.m., 19 residents had signed up to search for litter in the sand and parking lot. Each volunteer was given a trash picker, large plastic bag and data sheet to record how many of each item (bags, paper, balloons, etc.) they found on the beach.

Commissioners greeted those who wished to sign up and take part in the action. Bill Byrne, a member of five years, was especially enthusiastic about the day's activities.

"I like being able to make a difference. Even though it's volunteering and you don't get paid, I take pride in being here," Byrne said. "It's good to have people show up, and to try and get a continuous support group of local residents."

This is the 12th year Glen Cove is participating in the Cleanup, according to Program Supervisor Damion Stavredes, who has been with the Commission for ten years.

"Basically, it's a tool to see whether or not your beach is progressing," Stavredes said. "Over the past three years, our beaches have been getting better and better."

It was a sunny, but extremely windy morning. The weather conditions did not hinder any of the volunteers, even as they struggled to hold their bags open to collect items.

"It should really be three to a group: one to pick up litter, one to hold the bag and one to record data," said Stavredes. Although working in pairs proved more difficult, many were able to manage.

A couple of student volunteers fulfilled their community service hours by participating in the cleanup.

"We like this beach, and in the summer it's hard to come here because the water is always so polluted," said Olivia, a Glen Cove senior.

Glen Cove Beautification Commission member Lauren Wasserfall was accompanied by her husband, Stanley. This was their first time participating in the Coastal Cleanup: "I enjoy the fact that we can clean up a community that we live in," Mrs. Wasserfall said.

At the end of the search, the data sheets were sent to the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C. to be analyzed for the national effort. Data was also collected from other municipalities and tallied. The results will show the current condition of our shorelines.

Mrs. Wasserfall found an overwhelming number of cigarette butts in the sand, and proudly showed her neatly drawn tallies to prove it. However, she was not entirely disappointed with her findings: "I'm very impressed that at this time of the year the beaches are pretty clean," she said. "I guess Glen Cove really does a very good job of maintaining it."