International Coastal Cleanup Day is This Saturday
Pictured Above: The 2022 Surfrider beach cleanup at 67 Steps Beach in Greenport. |. Chris Hamilton photo (@northforkfisherman) for the Surfrider Foundation.
All over the East End, people are jumping into action this weekend to celebrate International Coastal Cleanup Day by cleaning a seasons-worth of debris off our local beaches.
And this Friday evening, Aug. 15, the Surfrider Foundation’s East End chapter will hold its 21st Annual Surf Movie Night at the Southampton Arts Center to help fund their efforts to protect beaches here and around the world.
The North Fork Environmental Council is cleaning up two Long Island Sound beaches on Saturday, Sept. 16 — Iron Pier Beach on Pier Avenue in Northville from 8 to 10 a.m. and Breakwater Beach in Mattituck from 1 to 3 p.m. They’re asking volunteers to bring their own gloves and reusable water bottles, and a pail for garbage. Gloves and bags will also be provided if necessary. NFEC can be reached at 631.298.8880 or office@nfec1.org.
If the NFEC doesn’t clean all the trash off the broad swath of Breakwater Beach, Group for the East End will be sweeping through the beach on Sunday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon. They’re asking volunteers to bring gloves and contact Group environmental advocate Jenn Hartnagel at jhartnagel@eastendenvironment.org with any questions.
Concerned Citizens of Montauk volunteers will meet at CCOM’s office at 6 South Elmwood Avenue to stock up on gloves, hand sanitizers and reusable sacks at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 for a two-hour cleanup. They will then fan out to clean up their favorite spots. Mickey’s Carting has donated a dumpster that will be placed at CCOM’s headquarters for disposal of debris throughout the day.
The East Hampton Town Litter Action Committee is also holding several cleanups on Saturday in Wainscott, Springs, East Hampton and Amagansett. Here’s how to get involved.
If beaches aren’t your thing but you like to see natural areas preserved, the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt are holding their monthly Old Farm Road cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8 a.m. They’ll be meeting at Poxabogue Park, 191 Old Farm Road in Sagaponack. Bring gloves, and bags will be provided. For more info, contact Peter Wilson at 631.553.1393.
Surfrider Foundation’s North Fork Beach Cleanup contest registration has closed for this year but it’s one to keep an eye on if you want to take your time collecting beach trash in 2024. Organized by North Fork photographer Estefany Molina, the contest encourages teams to compete to see who can collect the most trash from the beaches between Aug. 8 and Sept. 28. This year, they’re trying to top the 2022 collection of more than 3,000 pounds of trash. Here’s their info.
Make it an ocean-friendly weekend by coming out for Surfrider’s Surf Movie Night XXI at the Southampton Arts Center on Friday, Sept. 15 (rain date Sept. 17). Bring lawn chairs and beach blankets, starting at 5 p.m., listen to music by Souliztik and enjoy refreshments from several local purveyors, with films and programs beginning at dusk.
Surf Movie Night is Surfrider Eastern Long Island’s major annual
fundraiser, and proceeds from past events have funded their clean water,
plastic pollution, and coastal preservation programs and campaigns.
General admission tickets start at $35 and are available online here.
