Help Clean Up Route 35A With Aney Paul, Keep Rockland Beautiful

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Rockland County Legislator Aney Paul will join with volunteers for an Earth-Day roadside cleanup on Saturday morning. Participants get free seeds and perennials from her own garden.

It will be the 27th such cleanup she's conducted in the past eight years. Back in 2014, she "adopted" the two-mile stretch of Route 35A that runs between New Clarkstown Road in Nanuet and Route 59 in Spring Valley.

"It’s a busy stretch of road and unfortunately, some motorists are tossing trash out their car windows and onto the roadside — everything from fast food bags and cups to cigarette butts," Paul said.

While the main goal of the cleanups is to rid local streets of unsightly trash, the impact extends beyond making Rockland looking nicer.

"The garbage makes our community look terrible and it can pollute waterways and harm wildlife," she said.

Debris left on roadsides is often washed by rain and melted snow into local waterways through storm drains or blown directly into streams and lakes.

Yes, the waterways that help supply people's drinking water and — when they're clean — serve as habitat for aquatic, plant and wildlife.

The cleanup is being held in celebration of Earth Day and is sponsored locally by Keep Rockland Beautiful as part of the Great American Cleanup program.

Paul will provide volunteers with seeds, as well as perennial plants from her own garden. New volunteers are welcome and encouraged to join. Volunteer certificates will be given to those in need of community service hours.

Meet at the Pascack Community Center parking lot at 87 New Clarkstown Road in Nanuet. The cleanup will run from 9 a.m. to 11 am. For more information, please e-mail Legislator Paul at PaulA@co.rockland.ny.us or call (845) 638-5100.