Mastic Beach Conservancy installs three cleanup stations in local parks

Mastic Beach Conservancy, in collaboration with Relic Sustainability, installed three cleanup stations in local Bayview Park, Osprey Park and Cranberry Pier. By providing baskets, these stations make it convenient for residents to clean up litter in the parks and along our waterways. Along with informative signage about protecting our beaches, the clean-up stations further the Mastic Beach Conservancy’s mission to empower the community to keep the waterfront clean to be enjoyed by all.

Vice president Johnny Panessa, who spearheaded the effort, said, “I noticed the Relic stations popping up on every beach out east and I thought they were brilliant and made sense to have at our parks, too! The stations put conservation in the public’s hands. It’s an experiment we hope will be successful and help to beautify our waterfront.”

Brookhaven Town councilman Dan Panico, who attended the installation of the stations, said of the project on Facebook, “Thanks to our clean community partners at Relic and the Mastic Beach Conservancy, we have three more cleanup stations that have been installed at Bayview Park, Osprey Park and Cranberry Pier in Mastic Beach. These are conveniently located next to trash receptacles and are the latest placements across Brookhaven Town beaches and parks, as well as Suffolk County beaches.”

Relic Sustainability is a collection of projects aimed at protecting our oceans. By working with local towns and communities to establish beach cleanup stations, Relic is helping to facilitate voluntary trash pick-up. With over 45 actively maintained clean up stations on Long Island, they are engaging beachgoers in maintaining our greatest local resource—our beautiful beaches.

Mastic Beach Conservancy is a nonprofit, community-led organization with 501(c)(3) status whose mission is to conserve the 6.5 miles of publicly-accessible, recreational waterfront parkland throughout the Mastic Beach and Shirley Conservation Area. The group consists of residents of Mastic Beach, Mastic and Shirley, and includes lifelong locals and newcomers alike and strives to improve and protect the waterfront’s environmental health while making it possible for residents and others to experience the area’s incredible natural beauty. A key goal is to develop and complete a network of “blue/green” nature trails that will allow people to easily bike, hike and play along the scenic Mastic Beach waterfront parkland.

The organization is committed to partnering with local community groups to combat the effects of climate change and sea-level rise through a variety of initiatives focused on conservation, education and community-building.

For more information, email info@masticbeachconservancy.org or call or text Maura Spery at (631) 336-1049.