Fall cleaning across Oakdale

Oakdale’s green spaces are cleaner thanks to the help of a few dozen volunteers from across the island during a  community cleanup last weekend.

Save The Great South Bay, in partnership with the Oakdale Civic Association, hosted a cleanup around Byron Lake Park and along the roadside in front of Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Younger volunteers and families helped pick up litter and debris around the parking lot area of Byron Lake, while teenagers and adults trimmed invasive vines along the wooded eastern side of Oakdale-Bohemia Road.

“What makes cleanups like this so successful is the dedication of our volunteers and the strength of our community partnerships,” said Robyn Silvestri, executive director of Save The Great South Bay. “We are especially grateful to the Oakdale Civic Association, Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Boy and Girl Scouts for their continued commitment to protecting our local environment.”

Groups clipped the vines to invasive English ivy and thorny brush from trees near Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School, while dodging poison ivy and trimming back overgrowth.

Volunteers said the area around Byron Lake was already mostly clear, and those who turned out at last weekend’s cleanup helped collect garbage and debris closer to the park’s entrance.

“It’s encouraging to see less debris at Byron Lake each year, and our work removing invasive vines from Oakdale’s beautiful trees will help preserve them for generations to come,” Silvestri said. “These efforts demonstrate what we can accomplish when community members and organizations work together to care for the places we love.”

The cleanup was a part of Save The Great South Bay’s Creek Defender program, where volunteers clean garbage from parks and nearby waterways leading into the bay. This year’s event was also co-hosted by the Oakdale Civic Association, whose members came ready to clear the community’s overgrowth.

“All of the Oakdale and surrounding area clean ups are fantastic,” said Brian Burger, president of the Oakdale Civic Association, who thanked groups for cleanups, including the Oakdale Improvement Society. “With this, we have a much more beautiful town.”

To learn more about Save The Great South Bay and the Oakdale Civic Association, visit www.savethegreatsouthbay.org and www.oakdalecivicassociation.org.