New beach cleanup station helps keep Sands Point Preserve clean

A youth-driven initiative, led by Schreiber High School’s Tree Huggers Club in partnership with Transition Town Port Washington and the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy, is making it easier to keep the preserve clean while also raising awareness about the harm single-use plastics bring to local beaches.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sands Point Preserve in Sands Point on Thursday, June 20 marked the official opening of the new cleanup station. Designed by Relic, the station features a reusable, weather-proof basket made of recycled materials that holds more than 50 pounds of trash. Relic has more than 85 stations at beaches across Long Island, facilitating cleanups and serving as daily reminders about the importance of keeping our waters and shorelines clean.

“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.”

The station brings attention to the harm caused by single-use plastics, noted Margaret Galbraith, president of Transition Town Port Washington, an environmental organization of residents committed to building a sustainable community. “Cleanups will be done using reusable baskets and trash pickers so that no additional waste will be generated in the process,” she explained. “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.”

Jeremiah Bosgang, executive director of the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy, welcomed the self-serve station. “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,” he said. “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.”

For more about the Sands Point Preserve Conservancy, visit: sandspointpreserveconservancy.org