It was a day at the beach!
Kind-hearted Coney Islanders spent their Saturday cleaning up the dirty waters of Coney Island Creek at Kaiser Park at the fourth annual “It’s My Estuary” Day on May 5. The vice president of the organization that co-organized the event said it was important for locals — especially youngsters — to understand the importance of keeping their coastlines clean.
“Coastlines are our lifelines: they nourish us with oxygen, food, energy, and recreation, so we have to protect what provides us with enrichment,” said Ridgite Merryl Kafka of the New York State Marine Education Association. “[The event] is multi-purpose: to show the community that there is a responsibility for cleaning and having a stewardship ethic to take care of our wonderful marine science resources, and educational awareness about the environment.”
Local high school students — from John Dewey High School in Gravesend and Edward R. Murrow High School in Midwood, among about ten others — collected about a ton and a half of garbage and debris from the shoreline, Kafka said. And some of the more than 40 partner organizations that organized and sponsored the event — including the Brooklyn Marine STEM Education Alliance and Making Waves — also set up booths to teach the kids about environmental concerns.
