The shoreline cleanup on Sept. 19 was a terrific success. This event was part of the Center for Marine Conservation's international cleanup. The American Littoral Society coordinates all sites in New York State. Lyman Langdon Audubon Society again sponsored the volunteers at Manorhaven Park and Sheets Creek North. This year saw a much more extensive effort on Manhasset Bay, due to the participation of the Manhasset Bay Protection Committee and the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce in sponsoring additional sites cleaned by civic associations and marinas. The new cleanup areas were coordinated by Rosemary Konatich of Assemblyman Tom DiNapoli's office and included Baxter Estates beach, Prospect Avenue, Bayview Colony, Port Washington Estates, Secore Drive, Toms Point and Kensington beach in Great Neck. Fifty volunteers cleaned over a half-mile of beach, removing 1,000 pounds of debris.

At Manorhaven Park, Jennifer Wilson-Pines coordinated for Lyman Langdon Audubon. Forty volunteers collected trash and recorded it on detailed data sheets. The Boy Scouts of Troop 7 again formed the backbone of the volunteers. We also had Girl Scouts, Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, PIC, SOUL, the General Council of Homeowners, Auduboners and local residents from age three to 70 cleaning the shoreline. Town Councilman Anthony D'Urso encouraged the volunteers in their efforts. The top three items collected were cigarette butts, paper pieces and plastic pieces. The heavy weight items included an abandoned boat trailer and several pieces of pier wood.

For the first time the cleanup was able to remove some very large items out of Sheets Creek North, the adjacent nature preserve. Mike Bernardo of Bernardo Marine and president of the Save the Long Island Sound fund donated his time and use of his heavy work boat. Matt Meyran of Meyran Marine Taxi Service also volunteered his time and a skiff. Together they hauled out a 2,000 gallon 1,500 pound steel oil tank, a 30-foot 500-pound piling and a 22-foot steel pontoon to the boat ramp at the park. Warren Schein, deputy superintendent of parks for the Town of North Hempstead, operated a payloader to haul out the big stuff helped by parks employee Pete Rasher. The efforts of Mike and Matt brought the total weight of collected debris up to 3,500 pounds.

With the addition of the Great Neck site, data cards compiled by volunteers provide a "snap shot" in time of the floatable man made debris problem around most of the bay. This information will help the inter-municipal Manhasset Bay protection committee identify ways to control this sort of pollution in the future. More information from other sites, including several marinas, continues to come in. Next year we hope to increase the number of sites to encompass the entire bay. Everyone has fun and leaves with a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Please join us next year.