50 Volunteers Remove 120 Pounds of Trash from Lido Beach

Despite a rainy start, nearly 50 volunteers showed up at Lido Beach Town Park last Sunday with one mission: clean up their shoreline. In just three hours, they hauled away 120 pounds of trash that didn't belong there.

Sophie and Liam D'Souza, ages 14 and 11, traveled from Roslyn to help. "There's a lot of plastic fragments," Sophie said, adding they also found gum and Band-Aids littering the sand.

The cleanup marked the sixth monthly partnership between the Town of Hempstead and the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society. The organizations rotate cleanups between Lido Beach and Point Lookout Town Parks.

Volunteers spread across the beach, filling buckets with human-made debris. Some items had been left behind by beachgoers, while others washed ashore from the ocean.

The crews discovered everything from small plastic pieces to larger items like a broomstick, a metal umbrella base, and wooden planks with rusted nails. Each piece removed means one less hazard for wildlife and beach visitors.

Long Beach residents Robert and Krystal Sisko turned the cleanup into a family outing with their daughters Liana and Liahna. The girls earned National Honor Society volunteer hours while learning about environmental stewardship.

Avery and Michelle Estevez drove from Elmont as part of a community engagement activity through Avery's employer, Timberland. Their participation shows how businesses are encouraging employees to give back locally.

This wasn't the first success for the partnership. Last month at Point Lookout, close to 90 volunteers removed more than 100 pounds of debris from the sand.

The Ripple Effect

These monthly cleanups do more than make beaches prettier. They protect marine life from ingesting or getting tangled in trash. They keep microplastics from breaking down further and entering the food chain.

The community response shows people care deeply about their local beaches. Families are teaching their children environmental responsibility through action, not just words.

Organizations are stepping up too. Groups like the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 153 sent representatives. Cynthia Seibold, founder of Balloon Mission Inc., has already helped remove over 85,000 pieces of balloon litter from the environment.

Two more cleanups are scheduled for the season. On September 26, volunteers will return to Lido Beach Town Park to celebrate International Coastal Cleanup Day. The final gathering happens at Point Lookout Town Park on October 25.

Each event runs from 9 a.m. to noon, split into two 90-minute sessions. Organizers provide collection buckets and grabber tools, though bringing gloves is recommended.

Safety remains a priority. Volunteers must stay off the jetties at all times since venturing onto the rocks is hazardous and unnecessary for the cleanup work.

Registration is open now at hempsteadny.gov/856/beach-cleanups. Whether you're a family looking for a meaningful weekend activity or an individual wanting to make a difference, there's a spot waiting for you on the sand.

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