Page 2
Winter 2016
NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION
wedged in the brush since Hurricane
Sandy. Al Zablocki Sr. found the ice
rescue ladder for the pond, on the
beach.
An orange New Jersey Transporta-
tion Department highway diverter
was recovered.
There were plastic bags, street sign-
age, food packaging, cellophane,
straws, a backpack with a deteriorat-
ed cell phone and pieces of the old
turn of the century hotel up towards
Huguenot Avenue.
The ten volunteers removed about
300 lbs. of debris. The killifish trap
captured about 50 banded mummi-
chog that were traveling between the
pond and the bay and there was a
two pound skate (relative of shark)
carcass.
North
On October 24, we joined forces with
Mariners Harbor Civic and Friends of
Graniteville Quarry to give this beau-
tiful park an autumn cleaning. The
park was secured by the efforts of
our late Assemblywoman Elizabeth
Connelly. The entrance is on Forest
Avenue, across from Pep Boys.
Professor Alan Benimoff has been
studying this place for years; it con-
tains Pleistocene era dinosaur fos-
sils. The diabase mined here is the
famous Belgian Block used to pave
many old streets and cul de sacs.
There was homeless encampment
debris and related items mixed into
the woods and fields of the quarry. A
stolen girl’s 'Barbie' bicycle was
found and recovered and apparently
U-Haul cloth moving padding makes
a good blanket, if necessary. Unfor-
tunately one of us contracted severe
allergic reactions to the plant men-
tioned in the Coasters song by
Lieber and Stoller (For those of you
who can’t figure out this reference,
the song was “Poison Ivy”). A total
of about 100 lbs. of debris removed,
8 lbs. recycled.
North (again)
In early November, an intrepid group
of people explored the Kill Van Kull
in Port Richmond. The community
has basically been overtaken and
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the most bucolic beach peninsula on
Staten Island. The fourteen volun-
teers scoured the beach for plastic
bags, fishing line, refreshment con-
tainers, driftwood, candy and ciga-
rette packages and much more.
There were lobster pot markers and
boat pieces.
The Raritan Reach Shipping Chan-
nel is only 150 feet away, you can
get up close and personal with the
freighter ships. Also, the Catholic
Youth Organization had a summer
swimming camp and the huge S.S.
White Dental Factory was located
here. After the machinery stopped in
the late 1960's, it briefly became a
nightclub and shopping mall. The
wax waste products from the molds
of the factory are prized by collectors
for their brain shape and bold colors.
The property was remediated under
a DEC consent order and we under-
stand that the owner is marketing the
parcels. This is a prime opportunity
for the Governor's Office of Storm
Recovery (GOSR) to purchase the
property and restore the floodplain.
In addition to the 300 lbs. of debris
removed, we recycled 12 lbs. of alu-
minum and glass and chopped the
weeds that blocked the wood guard-
rail at the south portion of the park-
ing lot (adjacent to the feral cat colo-
ny).
Many thanks to all who assisted.
East
On September 26, we did a cleanup
and weed removal at Crescent
Beach South, at Armstrong Avenue,
Great Kills. The twelve volunteers
cleaned up about a quarter mile of
shoreline, down Tennyson, up to
Wiman Avenue.
The Parks Department built a nice
kayak launch revetment at the bot-
tom of Wiman Avenue and there was
some floatable debris, along with
some old beach chairs. Old menha-
den bunker bait gave off an interest-
ing smell.
The majority of the debris was plastic
bags, food packaging, cigarette
butts, straws and tampon applica-
tors. Sadly, we found a muskrat
(relative of beaver) carcass, its fur
was very soft and thick.
There was illegal dumping of old
pressed wood cabinets and the ID
card of a USS Intrepid employee
was found. A large piece of tugboat
rope was dragged off the beach to
the debris pile. It was the fifth clean-
up in 8 years at this location and
each time we find more debris that
has floated in. Thanks to all who as-
sisted, about 400 lbs. of debris was
removed.
In early October, we cleaned
Oakwood (Fox) Beach at the bottom
of Tarlton Avenue. The area has
sporadically been used by illegal
dumpers, and recently someone had
savaged some nearby trees with a
chain saw, blocking the path south to
the DEP storm water outfall. We re-
stored the parking area by removing
wood pieces and old rug shards.
The killifish trap was baited and set
in the morning at the Tarlton Street
Bridge to Cedar Grove Avenue.
The beach debris included multiple
plastic bags, beer cans and bottles,
quart oil containers, strapping bands,
cigarette butts, straws and liquor
bottles. There also was some house-
hold debris and bait boxes around.
We cleaned back the weeds and
bagged and carted the old beer
cans, mops and vinyl flooring. The
killifish trap worked, about 30 killies
were caught and temporarily placed
in a clear Dunkin Donuts large bev-
erage cup, making for an ironic living
montage. A total of 330 lbs. of debris
was removed and 15 lbs. of glass
and metal was recycled.
South (again)
On October 17, we cleaned up the
beach at Wolfes Pond Park, (north of
Seguine Point) at the bottom of Cor-
nelia Street. On the beach, I found a
skimmer clam commercial harvesting
tag belonging to a regional shell fish-
ermen.
The beach, at first glance, looked
clean, but down towards Holten Ave
(near the saltwater creek entrance to
the pond) there was some residual
floating debris like plastic bags. John
Healey and I removed a huge
Styrofoam dock piece that was
