Port Jefferson Students Pitch In at Beach Clean-Up

Port Jefferson Middle School's Environmental Club recently helped to clean up the eastern side of Port Jefferson Harbor during an event sponsored by the Village of Belle Terre as part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup.

Eleven members of the club, including Gavin Barrett, Emma Gutmann, Leland Held, Tamara Idir, Miles Kaming-Thomassi, Patrick Kleaka, Matt Luca, Abbie Murphy, Matt Murphy, Michael Smith and Jordan Suarez, along with parent Kevin Kleaka and club adviser Peter Burawa, tackled the beach for five hours, equipped with water, garbage bags, gloves, sun block and snacks for the day’s work.

“The students scoured the beach and adjoining upland, pulling and carrying the flotsam and jetsam from the area,” Burawa said. “Plastic bags and wrappers were the most time- consuming to clean up, as they would wrap around trees and branches, some of which had thorns.”