Schools
Local Marsh Slated for Post-Sandy Clean Up Thanks to Hofstra
University awarded $75K grant to remove debris in research area.
Hofstra University was awarded a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant of $75,000 to remove debris accumulated during Hurricane Sandy from a Lido Beach salt marsh that is used regularly for research and educational projects, including by Long Beach students.
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The cleanup of the 35-acre section of coastal salt marsh, which is adjacent to the Nike Alternative High School and the South Shore Environmental Center, will be led by Hofstra biology professors Jason Williams, Maureen Krause, and Russell Burke, who will collaborate with the Long Beach School District, the Town of Hempstead Department of Conservation and Waterways, and Operation SPLASH (Stop Polluting, Littering and Save Harbors), a non-profit volunteer group.
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“We are excited to get started with the cleanup efforts,” said Williams, who regularly visits the site for research and student field trips. “Superstorm Sandy destroyed the boardwalks that everyone uses to access the marsh. The Long Beach School District is focused on rebuilding their schools, as it should be, but we are hoping that donors will help us rebuild the boardwalks.”
Williams and the other organizers hope that the initial NOAA grant of $75,000 will grow with community donations.
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The school district told Patch that Long Beach students and others will participate in a marsh cleanup on Oct. 5 in conjunction with the grant program.
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