The Bellport Environmental Committee (BEC) held a community cleanup of Ho-Hum Beach this past Saturday, May 16, that had 38 volunteers of all ages take the ferry over.
The Bellport Environment Committee (BEC) was established in 2021. Under Marc Rauch’s leadership, the team (which includes Darcy Stevens, Howard Read, John Knapp and Dava Stravinsky as advisor) have been able steer many initiatives, including the pre- and post-season beach cleanups, the 1000 Yards Campaign, a $15,000 grant for the village (the first for a village committee), bike racks and, subject to grant funding being approved with the applications submitted, electric charging stations for the village.
The BEC has also held educational sessions at least once a year to educate people on key environmental topics such as native plantings, wildlife, trees and fertilizers.
The next event, “Beyond Our Yards: How lawn care choices impact the Great South Bay,” is being held on May 30 at the Bellport Community Center from 4 to 6 p.m. and will have five panelists, including Bellport resident Thomas Schultz of Friends of Bellport Bay, Robyn Silvestri of Save the Great South Bay, Sue Wicks of Violet Cove Oysters, and Patti Wood of Grassroots Environmental Education.
Bellport Village superintendent of Department of Public Works, Jason Crane, will speak of the initiatives of the village for environmental stewardship.
“Like all villages, there are many competing interests for people to care about, yet the environment is a key topic that touches us all, whether we like it or not. It is always encouraging to see the amount of engagement from residents throughout the village when initiatives are set up or calls for volunteers are made to make our village more sustainable,” said BEC member since inception, Jean-Damien Lury.
“Every little change made helps us move a step in the right direction and each step slowly compounds into huge wins for not only our village and the Great South Bay, but also for our neighboring communities around us.”
“The volunteers gave up their time on a beautifully sunny day to walk two miles in the sand collecting a large amount of trash with everything from plastic straws, balloons, fishing wire, composite decking, old signs and even a tire making its way back to the mainland with us. The BEC is very thankful for all the help it gets not only from residents, but also the support received from the mayor, ferry crew, and DPW staff in making these events possible,” said Lury.
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