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August 19, 2009

Cleaning Prospect Park Lake

ppark_081909.jpgA reader kindly sent us a link to a clean-up project for Prospect Park Lake. We spoke to Tami, the organizer, who has set up a donation site at Ioby as well as a Facebook page. Tami, who has lived in Brooklyn for eight years, hopes to raise at least $400 in order to rent paddle boats and buy supplies to pick up litter in and around the lake on September 19, which is International Coastal Clean-up Day. She has received the support of the Prospect Park Alliance, and any extra funds she receives will go to the Alliance for future park preservation. The impetus for the project came when Tami took a tour of the lake last spring on the Independence, an electric boat, and she saw birds' nests, babies hatching, aquatic life such as turtles and bass, and trash. Plenty of trash. Her tour guide said there used to be a green team for the lake, but it has since dissolved. "As I was walking around the lake to take pictures," Tami said, "couples on the boats would say 'Oh my god, it's so gross in here.'" Tami has at least 20 volunteers so far for the September 19 event, and is still accepting volunteers or donations.




Posted by jscheff at 10:00 AM | Comments (17)
Categories: Park Slope, Parks

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quote:
"couples on the boats would say 'Oh my god, it's so gross in here.'"

LOL! that was the first thing i said when i went to prospect park for the first time, specifically when i went to see the lake. but then i saw horses roaming around and i scrammed out of there.

so it will only cost 400 dollars to clean up that lake? that doesnt sound like very much.

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at August 19, 2009 10:10 AM

$400 does sound low - is that accurate or a typo?

Posted by: Arkady at August 19, 2009 10:15 AM

its voluntary, so no wages, and the paddle boat hire doesn't cost much. And pokey-litter-picking sticks aren't too expensive either. Just becuase it costs NYC 5 million bucks to lay tarmac on a one block stretch of road and $100K to get a consulatnat to tell them the pothole needs filling doesn't mean all improvement projects cost gazillions...

Posted by: dittoburg at August 19, 2009 10:20 AM

I think it is all volunteer labor. The $400 is probably for cleaning supplies, trash bags, nets, etc.

Posted by: newsouthsloper at August 19, 2009 10:21 AM

ah, makes sense. and ha! dittoburg, yeah i guess perception is skewed when you think about it in terms of what the city pays for stuff

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at August 19, 2009 10:23 AM

They are spending 60 million on the upcoming reno of the skating rink/lake front.

Posted by: IMBY at August 19, 2009 11:24 AM

Um, couldnt the paddle boat operators give free boat usage for people helping their business to clean the lake? They could pay an employee to allow access to the boats at an off hour every so often so they dont lose any income.

It helps them most of all...

Posted by: slick at August 19, 2009 11:35 AM

Cool. I fish in the lake all the time. I catch more trash than fish usually so I bag it up and dispose of it properly.

It is a great thing this person is doing, but the problem with park especially the lake is that all park user and workers need to be constantly proactive in not littering and cleaning up the park. I am pretty sure there is still a one of those metal bar barriers in the link near duck island!

Posted by: Pragonetti at August 19, 2009 11:41 AM

The park or the city should hand out huge fines for littering like all the other cities in the country do. It's disgusting how much trash gets flung on the ground in Prospect Park, especially on weekends when people gather in huge groups and cook out all day. It's like, join normal human society and bring a garbage bag. How hard is it? Many times I've passed spots where it's clear several people sat and ate and drank and then got up and walked away leaving all their food and drink containers just sitting on the ground where they used them.

Posted by: traditionalmod at August 19, 2009 12:19 PM

I agree on the fines for Litter. Likely this would pay for inspectors so could even generate some employment there ! Kidding aside I did some volunteer work in the park last summar and was stunned at how much rubbish folks leave. I asked the organiser why there weren't more trash bin around or at least much larger ones and was told the powers that be think they don't look nice. Odd considering the trash everywhere looks way worse. Prospect park is awesome and anything to clean this place up is good news.

Posted by: 10thStreetReno at August 19, 2009 12:34 PM

tradmod - I totally agree, if the city was as agressive in fining litterbugs and dog poop scofflaws as it was in ticketing wrong side car parking we'd be rolling in extra cash. Plus the place would look a whole lot better.

Posted by: dittoburg at August 19, 2009 12:36 PM

I'm that annoying person on the street/in the park who will tell you to pick up your trash. I hate when folks litter. Most time the people are so embarrassed by being called out that they will actually pick it up. I've been cursed at a few times though!

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at August 19, 2009 12:42 PM

This community should get behind efforts like this. It's modest and do-able. Thanks Brownstoner for posting this and the link to the donation page. Hopefully we can put our collective effort or money to help take care of something we all care about.

Posted by: HDL at August 19, 2009 12:58 PM

Maybe we should do PLUSAs in the Park Pick-up!

Posted by: Arkady at August 19, 2009 1:12 PM

Nice :)

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at August 19, 2009 1:33 PM

This would also be a great way to meet nice people, you singles out there!

Agree that the park could use more garbage cans, or just more frequent emptying of full ones over the weekend. For some reason, idiots see a full garbage can and feel entitled to lay their trash down next to it instead of carrying it outside the park to a receptacle with room. As for people who toss beer cans into the lake, well, there's nothing for that except Litterer Death Panels.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at August 19, 2009 8:18 PM

Thank you! Thanks for this article, the offers to volunteer and the donations made to help fund this project!

I hope to see some of you on September 19th!

Posted by: thelake at August 20, 2009 10:12 AM

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