(Reprinted with permission from the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot)
Saturday, September 25 will be a very busy day in Oyster Bay. If you wish to do hands on work and assist in cleaning up the harbor and beaches, or the land within the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary, this will be the perfect opportunity.
Volunteers and staff from Friends of the Bay, the Oyster Bay Power Squadron, the North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association, Sagamore Yacht Club, and the Town of Oyster Bay will work together to clean our harbors and bays. Meet at the boat launch ramps in Theodore Roosevelt Park at 8:30 am. Anyone who has participated in the Earth Day cleanups knows how satisfying it is to participate in these events, and how much is accomplished to make our bays and harbors cleaner. There is a wonderful feeling of camaraderie between all the volunteers. The Oyster Bay Power Squadron and Sagamore Yacht Club are sponsoring a barbecue after the cleanup for participants.
This year is a very special year, since it is the 25th anniversary of the International Coastal Cleanup. By engaging people to remove trash and debris from beaches and waterways, and identifying sources of debris, the Ocean Conservancy believes that people’s behaviors will change and the amount of marine debris will decrease. Most marine debris is entirely preventable. Participants will be asked to record what is picked up. This data is compiled and a report is issued on what is picked up worldwide. The number one item? Cigarette butts! They not only make humans sick, they hurt the health of our oceans and bays. Number two? Plastic water bottles! Water bottles use large amounts of petroleum in the production and transportation process, and they litter our shores. And, water from the tap costs pennies…time to think before you buy those bottles. To register or for more information, call Jaime Van Dyke at 677-5943.
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site will be observing National Public Lands Day on the 25 as well. Volunteers will have an opportunity to perform a beach cleanup and remove invasive plants. The work period will be from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. Meet behind the visitor center at 8:30 am. Refreshments and snacks will be provided after the work session. Participants over the age of 15 will receive one free admission pass to be used for a future visit to a National Park Service site or other Public Lands in the United States. Participating Boy and Girl Scouts will receive Certificates of Participation. No reservations are required.
There is no charge to visit Sagamore Hill National Historic Site on September 25, 2010. Visitors will still need to obtain tickets to tour the home of the 26th president, which they should do upon arrival at the visitor center, located adjacent to the parking lot. Tours are offered on the hour, and on a first-come-first-served basis. Visitors are encouraged to come early in the day to reserve a tour time.
And finally, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is sponsoring the first nationwide prescription drug take back program. The DEA will be collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction on Saturday, September 25 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. The two nearest sites to Oyster Bay are Nassau County Police Department Second Precinct at 7700 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury and the Old Brookville Police Department at 5701 Route 25A, Glen Head. For more sites, visit www.dea.gov.
By disposing of prescription drugs properly, you will not only be helping preserve the health of the waters, you will be protecting your children and family. Rates of prescription drug abuse are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overduses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet. From there, the drugs can enter our harbors and bays, or our drinking water supplies.
By participating in any or all of these events, you will be rendering a very valuable service to your community, and will make a real, substantial difference in the health of our local environment. Please come out and lend a hand!
The inclement weather kept Friends of the Bay volunteers on land on Monday. We were hoping to be able to catch a sign of Corrigan. We have heard no more word of “our” manatee, so we can only hope he is headed back south for warmer waters.
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