Vertex Employees Spend The Day Cleaning Up Dorchester's Beaches

Photo 1: Tracy Koval of Beacon Hill and Marielle Gonzalez of South Boston helped to clear brush from the fence lining the access road to Tenean Beach.

Photo 2: 60 volunteers from Vertex Pharmaceuticals helped Save the Harbor and the Department of Conservation and Recreation maintain Dorchester’s Beaches

On Friday, October 2, two teams from Vertex Pharmaceuticals in South Boston joined Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation for a blustery day of corporate citizenship on two area beaches. The stormy weather didn’t affect productivity as the energetic “Vertexians” removed truckloads of debris, weeds and overgrowth and cleared pathways, sidewalks and playgrounds along Tenean Beach and Malibu/Savin Hill Beach in Dorchester.

The morning crew of 40 Vertex volunteers removed a total of eight tons of trash and vegetation from Tenean Beach and the surrounding playground, parking lot, and access road—making such an impact that two residents have already made phone calls to praise the crews’ results.

The afternoon crew of 25 braved the wind, rain and rising tide at Malibu Beach and removed nine tons of debris and vegetation from the boardwalk, concrete path, and along the opposite side of Morrissey Boulevard used most often by boaters.

Save the Harbor Vice President Susan Woods, was impressed but not surprised by what the teams from Vertex accomplished.

“The volunteers from Vertex really care about the environment and our community and it shows,” said Save the Harbor Vice President Susan Woods, who coordinated the service project for Save the Harbor. “We have already gotten calls from residents telling us how great the beaches look and how much they appreciate all our hard work.”

Save the Harbor is a non-profit, public interest harbor advocacy organization made up of thousands of citizens as well as civic, corporate, cultural and community leaders and scientists whose shared mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and the marine environment and share them with the public for all to enjoy.

To find out more about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the work they do to restore and protect Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands and the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket, visit their website at savetheharbor.org and follow savetheharbor on Facebook and Twitter.