By Michael Turton
The signs keep mounting that despite recent cool weather spring actually is here. One, is the annual beach cleanup at Little Stony Point Park, which took place on Sunday, April 10. Volunteers worked in two-hour shifts throughout the day removing all manner of natural and man-made debris from the park’s riverfront. John Teagle, caretaker of the popular park, said that more than 50 local residents came out to lend a hand — and he was more than grateful that they did. “It just couldn’t be done without that big gang of volunteers” Teagle said. “There was even more [debris] than usual this year.”
Teagle said that two full dumpsters of mostly man-made junk were collected along with giant piles of drift wood. An unusual find this year was a large section of a wooden dock that had floated downstream before being washed ashore. A fully grown, 60 foot tree had also washed ashore. Chain saws had to be used to cut trees and the larger pieces of drift wood that ended up marooned on the beach. Old tires, discarded lawn furniture, metal drums, assorted bottles, cans and millions of “devilheads” – the spiky invasive black water chestnuts – were also hauled away in order to make the beach more inviting this summer. The beach at the 25 acre Hudson River park is usually packed with visitors on warm summer weekends. Its cliffs provide spectacular views of the Hudson River, the Hudson Highlands and the Village of Cold Spring.
Photos by M. Turton
