Baxter’s Pond Fall Clean-Up Event Protects the Bay

At the Baxter’s Pond Foundation (BPF) Fall Clean Up on September 22, a dozen bags of litter and assorted debris were collected by volunteers armed with trash grabbers and gloves supplied by BPF.

“It’s stunning how many cigarette butts, plastic bottles and cans we remove every Clean-Up Event, not to mention larger items,” said Kim Keiserman, co-president of the Baxter’s Pond Foundation. “It’s not just about the aesthetics – litter on our streets and in our parks that ends up in Baxter’s Pond can then run off into Manhasset Bay, tainting our water and harming our marine life.”

To help reduce litter between Clean Ups, BPF has installed a “DIY Clean-Up Station” in conjunction with Residents Forward. The station is outfitted with free gloves and bags so that park visitors can perform their own clean up at any time.

The event was also the first volunteer planting session of the season at Baxter’s Pond. Mums, cabbages and dusty miller plants were placed in the pillars and cottage window boxes. Attendees appreciated how beautifully the new butterfly garden is growing adjacent to the Butterfly Mural.

The next Clean Up will be Saturday, November 2, at 9 a.m. Meet at the flagpole. Families are welcome! Refreshments will be served.

Baxter’s Pond Foundation is the nonprofit environmental steward of Baxter’s Pond and the surrounding Barbara Johnson Park & Preserve, which are owned by Nassau County. Visit baxterspond.org for more information on BPF’s events and environmental efforts or to donate. BPF can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.