A new self-serve beach cleanup station was recently installed at the Sands Point Preserve by members of the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy, Schreiber High School’s Tree Huggers Club and Transition Town Port Washington.
“We are thrilled to partner with the forward-thinking members of the Schreiber High School Tree Huggers Club and the dedicated team at Transition Town Port Washington to bring the beach cleanup station to Sands Point Preserve,” said Jeremiah Bosgang, Executive Director of the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy.
“Over the last several years, Transition Town Port Washington has worked with students from Schreiber High School to raise awareness about the damaging effects of single-use plastics to our environment and our health,” said Margaret Galbraith, president of Transition Town Port Washington. “This year, we are excited to partner with Tree Huggers and Sands Point Preserve to install a beach cleanup station at the Preserve.”
On Thursday, June 20, the self-serve beach cleanup station was installed, followed by a ribbon-cutting and beach cleanup. The youth-driven initiative is designed for visitors at the preserve to help protect the environment while also raising awareness about the harm of single-use plastics on our beaches.
“I am so grateful to be able to work with Transition Town Port Washington, the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy and Relic to make a change in my community,” said Isaac Graubard, President of Tree Huggers Club at Schreiber High School. “Not only will the introduction of the beach cleanup station help reduce garbage and waste from entering the Long Island Sound and Manhasset Bay, it will also inspire change and progress towards a cleaner future.”
“This station will give beachgoers the opportunity to not only help keep the Preserve clean but also ensure that our majestic shores will be here for our children, grandchildren and the generations to come,” said Bosgang.
The cleanup station is designed by Relic and there are more than 85 stations on beaches across Long Island’s North and South shores. The station features reusable and weatherproof baskets, made out of recycled materials, that beach visitors can use to collect trash around the area. Each basket can hold more than 50 pounds of trash For convenience, the stations are installed near trash cans for visitors to dump their full baskets into when they are done cleaning up.
“Cleanups will be done using reusable baskets and trash pickers so that no additional waste will be generated in the process,” said Galbraith. “In addition to helping to clean up the Preserve, the new stations will also serve as educational centers, raising awareness about the blight that short-term-use plastics bring to our beaches and waters.”
“The beauty of this beach cleanup station is that anyone can participate at any time. No longer will we need to organize beach cleanups and get volunteers. Anyone at any time can simply pick up a basket, head down to the beach, and prevent trash from entering our waters,” said Graubard. “I am so excited to see how the community responds to this new method of removing trash from our beaches.”
To learn more about the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy, visit sandspointpreserveconservancy.org
