Volunteers Pick up a Ton of Trash at Hempstead Lake Park

Hewlett and Lawrence high school students on Sunday helped pick up about a ton of garbage at Hempstead Lake State Park.

This cleanup, along with one at the Merrick Reserve on Saturday, were the first events organized by the Town of Hempstead Democratic Committee Environmental Caucus, which is led by Woodmere resident Michael Turi.

“I couldn’t be happier with the numbers and hard work the high school students and caucus members put in,” Turi said. “I think they understand that it’s good to give back to your community and help the environment. I hope their service today leads to service beyond.”

The volunteers, including more than 20 students, met at the park around 9:30 a.m. and spent about four hours around the lake picking up refuse such as cigarette butts, plastic bottle caps, straws, drink containers and even drug paraphernalia. The state parks commission provided the equipment.

“Events like this keep our parks clean and safe,” said William Brown, manager of Hempstead Lake State park.
He added that most of the trash is caused by litterbugs and street runoff and built up over the winter. There are five days of these kinds of cleanups a year, he said.

The caucus will host another cleanup in the fall, according to Turi.

Melissa Pantelis, a health and physical education teacher and environmental club advisor at Hewlett High School, said the cleanup was a success, but more needs to be done to maintain parks.

“The kids really enjoyed the day and many did not realize how large and beautiful the park was, even though they pass it on a [regular] basis,” she said. “This event opened the eyes of our students in how much our behaviors and thoughtless actions impact the environment. When a person throws garbage, it affects all people.”