A two-hour stint at Peekskill’s riverfront last Sunday morning yielded nearly a bag of garbage each for some 30 volunteers from the Putnam Valley High School’s Science National Honor Society. Along with the garbage that filled the bags, students pulled four brake rotors, three charcoal grills and other miscellaneous items from entering the Hudson River as debris. 

The focus of the cleanup from 8:30 to 10:30 on Oct. 23 was to prevent garbage from ending up in the Hudson River. The environmental issue of microplastics and toxins entering the local ecosystem was the key scientific idea that provided the impetus for the park cleanup. 

Faculty advisors Jason Horr and Jake Ninan, science teachers, said the students covered the territory from Peekskill Landing to the beginning of the marina, south of the train station. 

The students are all members of the PVHS chapter of SNHS and earned 2 hours of volunteer credit for picking up trash at the site. “They were amazed at the amount of trash found in a seemingly clean location. They were very proud of their work and enjoyed doing their part for the local environment,” said Ninan. 

Local residents, who included dog-walkers, cyclists, walkers, and family groups playing on the playground all appreciated the student’s work and expressed their gratitude and amazement. 

The PVHS SNHS plans another local park cleanup on November 6th at another local area to be determined.