Girl Scouts mark ‘Love State Parks’ event with beach cleanup

About 100 members of the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County learned about important waste disposal practices and worked together to help preserve the beauty of Long Island’s beaches during a beach cleanup at Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park on Sunday, Sept. 14.

The event was one of several across Long Island as part of the Girl Scouts of USA (GSUSA) annual Girl Scouts Love State Parks event, held across the country. Last year, more than 500 Girl Scouts cleaned up a dozen parks across Suffolk County.

“If your trash flies away in the ocean, the turtles can get stuck,” said Lucy Reinhardt, 9, from Hauppauge, who participated in the event. “If there’s garbage all over the beach, people will be stepping on it and it will be disgusting.”

Girls donned neon green latex gloves and combed the beach, picking up litter and disposing of it in trash and recycling bins. They also earned a “Girl Scouts Love State Parks” patch for their effort.

“I am so proud of the girls,” said Kristen Reinhardt, troop leader. “They have busy schedules on weekends, but they are still making time to come out and clean up the beach.”

Girl Scouts Love State Parks is offered in partnership with the National Association of State Park Directors. The event is held every year on the second weekend of September.