New York Cares Spring Clean: Jamaica Bay
On Saturday, April 12th, Mr. Mersy and I joined 5,000 other New Yorkers to march forth and clean up the city's most beautiful and beloved outdoor areas. We were assigned to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, and served for about 6 hours as part of the intensive beach clean-up crew.
The day was a mixture of emotions for me- part of me was fired up, determined, and proud of how much we were able to accomplish. Another part of me was shocked, saddened, and frustrated with the filth we found. I guess I was confronted by the undeniable fact that human beings really are the most dangerous animals to the environment.
The bay area was so pleasant- far removed from Manhattan, filled with the smell of marshy salt water, the constant sea breeze, and the call of sea birds. It should be a haven for marine life and migratory birds. Instead, we found it abominably polluted by those very people who had come to enjoy its freshness and serenity.
The amount of broken glass, liquor and smoking paraphernalia, absolutely abhorrent unmentionables, fast food trash, and even religious artifacts from ceremonies meant to give thanks to the natural world had all turned the supposed sanctuary into a horrible place for any species seeking refuge.
We worked hard to eliminate this dangerous garbage. Here are a few before and after photos.
Before:
After:
I don't often put pictures of garbage on my little blog, but I wanted to show the magnitude of what we were collecting from this small area. Beware, it will make your heart sick to see it. We filled up well over six of these for a little patch of thicket in a single hour.
After our day's work, I felt incredibly happy with what we accomplished and desperate to do more. From what we witnessed, Mr. Mersy and I will definitely continue to work to clean up our local beaches. And I hope that the National Park Service realizes that the only way to create a true refuge is to KEEP THE PEOPLE OUT!
I hope that you can find a way to serve your community this spring, and that you make sure that no matter where you are, you pick up any litter that you see.
~Mersydotes
The day was a mixture of emotions for me- part of me was fired up, determined, and proud of how much we were able to accomplish. Another part of me was shocked, saddened, and frustrated with the filth we found. I guess I was confronted by the undeniable fact that human beings really are the most dangerous animals to the environment.
The bay area was so pleasant- far removed from Manhattan, filled with the smell of marshy salt water, the constant sea breeze, and the call of sea birds. It should be a haven for marine life and migratory birds. Instead, we found it abominably polluted by those very people who had come to enjoy its freshness and serenity.
The amount of broken glass, liquor and smoking paraphernalia, absolutely abhorrent unmentionables, fast food trash, and even religious artifacts from ceremonies meant to give thanks to the natural world had all turned the supposed sanctuary into a horrible place for any species seeking refuge.
We worked hard to eliminate this dangerous garbage. Here are a few before and after photos.
Before:
After:
I don't often put pictures of garbage on my little blog, but I wanted to show the magnitude of what we were collecting from this small area. Beware, it will make your heart sick to see it. We filled up well over six of these for a little patch of thicket in a single hour.
After our day's work, I felt incredibly happy with what we accomplished and desperate to do more. From what we witnessed, Mr. Mersy and I will definitely continue to work to clean up our local beaches. And I hope that the National Park Service realizes that the only way to create a true refuge is to KEEP THE PEOPLE OUT!
I hope that you can find a way to serve your community this spring, and that you make sure that no matter where you are, you pick up any litter that you see.
~Mersydotes
Comments
Post a Comment