Fall cleanup set for Oyster Bay beaches

Several Long Island nonprofits and environmental groups are scheduled to attend a fall harbor cleanup in Oyster Bay on Saturday, Sept. 14 ahead of National Estuaries Week.

The second annual Estuary Day gives Long Island residents a chance to join their neighbors and help clean up the town’s shores while learning about marine debris and its effects on the environment.

Friends of the Bay, which contributes to the protection and restoration of waterways in the Oyster Bay–Cold Spring Harbor area, is one of the main partners of the event, which is organized by New York Sea Grant (a cooperative of State University of New York and Cornell, with administrative offices at Stony Brook University).

“Countless amounts of paper, food, plastics and other trash are discarded on beaches or dumped overboard from recreational and commercial vessels,” said Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino in a statement. Volunteers will meet at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park at 8 a.m. and help remove litter throughout the morning.

Stehli Beach and Centre Island Beach in Bayville will also serve as meeting points for residents who want to join the effort. Free parking is available at Beekman Beach on West End Avenue.

After the cleanup, a series of educational lectures, crafts and beach activities are planned from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The North Shore Land Alliance will have an aquifer model, aerial photographs and maps of the town’s watersheds and activities for kids.

Individuals and groups who would like to participate in the annual Estuary Day cleanup can contact the Oyster Bay Department of Environmental Resources at (516) 677-5943 or visit oysterbaytown.com.