Thursday, October 1, 2026
Dozens of volunteers gathered Saturday at beaches around Hempstead Harbor for the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor’s annual beach cleanup, removing trash and collecting data on the types of debris found along the shoreline.
The cleanup has been organized locally since 1992 as part of the International Coastal Cleanup, an initiative conducted in partnership with the American Littoral Society and Ocean Conservancy. In recent years, the coalition has expanded the effort from a single location to multiple beaches around the harbor.
This year’s cleanup was held at three beaches. Tappen Beach was not included because of the Sea Cliff Triathlon taking place, though the coalition plans to participate in a separate cleanup with North Shore Middle School in November.
Michelle Lapinel-McAllister, programs director for the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, said dozens of volunteers participated Saturday, including members of Scout troops and other community groups.
The coalition was still waiting for complete data from all three cleanup sites, but Lapinel-McAllister said about 80 pounds of garbage had been collected at each of two sites.
The weight of the garbage, however, is only one measure of the cleanup’s impact. Lapinel-McAllister said volunteers also removed hundreds of small pieces of debris, including plastic, Styrofoam and cigarette butts.
“It’s not always how heavy the garbage is because so much of what is important to remove from the beaches are like the tiny debris that don’t necessarily weigh a lot but can have a big impact,” she said. “There are hundreds of tiny plastic pieces, styrofoam pieces, cigarette butts. They don’t weigh a lot, but a lot of that was removed from the beaches.”
Volunteers record the types and quantities of debris collected as part of the international cleanup effort. The information can be used to track changes in the types of trash found on beaches and measure the effects of policies intended to reduce specific forms of pollution.
At Sea Cliff Beach, where some larger items contributed to the weight of the collected trash, Lapinel-McAllister said the results were immediately visible.
“I know when I walked away from Sea Cliff Beach that day, it definitely it was sparkling,” she emphasized. “It was clean, and it’s a good feeling too, because you’re out there in the morning, like nine to 11, and you feel like you’ve done something really good that day.”
The cleanup also drew volunteers from outside the North Shore, including a family from Forest Hills. Lapinel-McAllister said the participation demonstrated that Hempstead Harbor’s beaches are a shared resource.
Lapinel-McAllister added that some returning volunteers initially became involved through the coalition’s horseshoe crab educational programs.
The coalition’s November cleanup with North Shore Middle School will be limited to students and will follow a similar format, including collecting data on the debris removed from the beach.
“It’s just great to see the community coming together and taking responsibility for a shared resource,” Lapinel-McAllister said, “and then having a great outcome.”
