This year’s event will take place in the area east from Pattersquash Creek below Elm Road West from 10 a.m.-noon. Previous cleanup events have drawn over one hundred participants and resulted in the removal of hundreds of bags of trash.

Participants should meet at the corner of Hemlock Drive and Forest Road East by 10 a.m. Garbage bags, pickers and gloves will be provided. Participants are advised to wear long pants and socks, as well as water resistant shoes/boots. The event is open to all.

Mastic Beach Conservancy is focusing efforts on this area to clean out a toxic tire yard and debris churned up by the winter storms and floods. This area is also near the start of the Mastic Beach Conservancy’s future nature trail.

“There is no better way to celebrate Earth Day than by clearing out 100’s of illegally dumped tires from our sensitive wetlands. Toxic tires are not only polluting our protected parklands but are a prime source for breeding mosquitoes. Also, after the many storms and flooding events this winter there is a need for the community to come together and help clean up the scattered debris and let the natural beauty of Mastic Beach shine through. I hope that residents will come out and join us in beautifying our area,” said Maura Spery, former Mastic Beach mayor and current president for the conservancy.

If residents choose to clean up other areas in the conservation area, they can contact MB Conservancy to arrange for garbage collection.