Volunteers come out for first Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail cleanup of the season
By Caroline O’Callaghan
On the morning of April 19, the Three Village Community Trust Friends of the Greenway gathered for its first monthly cleanup of the season, at the entrance of the New York State Department of Transportation parking lot in Port Jefferson Station.
Volunteers contributed their thoughts on how to best protect the environment of the almost 3-mile-long trail. Charlie McAteer, chairman of Friends of the Greenway, explained how waste management is dispersed among various municipalities throughout the trail. “When you talk about garbage cans, that’s a town garbage can, and that is collected by the town during the weekly garbage pickup,” McAteer said, pointing to a garbage can on a corner at the start of the trail.
“This is a NYSDOT garbage can, and they’ll come pick it up accordingly,” McAteer continued to explain, now pointing to the DOT’s garbage can be situated in the parking lot.
The majority of the cross streets at the Greenway Trail have town garbage cans on each corner, which helps to reduce the mounting litter that gets accumulated during the off-season. However, some volunteers have resorted to handling the issue on their own, according to Greenway Trail steward of 20 years Susan Colatosti.
“Whether it’s Earth Day or not, I’m out here. I walk it almost every day, and pick up litter as I go,” Colatosti said. When asked if plans to get more garbage cans for the trail were in the works, Colatosti stated that it was unlikely. “It’s already a job to get the town carter to pick them up on a regular basis. I’m sure they don’t want the responsibility of picking up more cans. Occasionally, I monitor it and I check if they haven’t been emptied, and I reach out to them [the town] to come and empty the overflowing garbage. I don’t think more cans are going to happen, but at least we have cans at most of the crossings, which is a big help.”
In recent years, the trail has been extended to the North Shore Rail Trail in Wading River, which has prompted more organizations and town officials to get involved in its upkeep. Rotary Club of Port Jefferson Rotarian Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay (D, NY4) came out to the cleanup to volunteer with her dog, Utah.
Kassay revealed a potential project to support cleanup efforts further, “I’ve been talking about an inter-rotary effort to perhaps put more dog bag stations throughout the Greenway — all the way from East Setauket well-beyond Port Jefferson, out East in the ‘new leg’ [Wading River] of the Greenway. It’s great to be a part of a group that’s just keeping this beautiful safe place for people to recreate and keep improving upon it.”
Many of the volunteers who came out to the event were residents who expressed concern for the wildlife in which the trail houses, such as Friends of the Greenway Aaron Hoffman. “There’s tons of deer and birds. They have a beautiful life here,” said Hoffman, adding that the accessibility of the trail has allowed him to experience and stay connected to Port Jefferson Station. “Hopefully we can keep the Greenway around for years because not only do the animals need it, but we need it for our peace and serenity.”
For more information visit the Community Trust website: www.threevillagecommunitytrust.org.
