Goings on in the Accabonac
One of our goals this year was to communicate with you more frequently about Accabonac-related matters. So, going forward we will be doing just that. Here’s the first installment!
On August 10th, twenty-five paddlers, kayakers and sailors from East Hampton to Sag Harbor gathered on Accabonac Harbor to celebrate its natural beauty, pristine water conditions and participate in a paddle and clean up of the harbor co-led by Jody Sutter, Evelyn O’Doherty and the Accabonac Protection Committee. Sutter, a board member of the APC, spearheaded the successful outing to bring community members together at Landing Lane in Springs in order to champion the importance of preservation of our East End’s local waterways and the dedicated effort of the APC to protect the integrity of Accabonac Harbor.
APC board members Sutter and Len Rubin spoke briefly about the ongoing, dedicated efforts to protect the harbor from the impact of local septic systems, lawn fertilizers and plastic pollution. Then, paddlers were treated to a tour of the main body of the harbor – about 3 miles – led by O’Doherty, an East End year-round paddler and environmental activist, where they scouted the shores for any plastic and other garbage to be gathered and brought back to shore.
One notable find from the day was a NOAA weather balloon that was caught up in the reeds on the north end of the harbor, blown there by storms or wind to be discovered by the group. Other trash included the usual single use plastic bottles, aluminum beer cans and multiple shotgun shell casings (plastic and metal) left over from last year’s hunting season. Back on land, paddlers were encouraged to become stewards for their own local bodies of water including Accabonac Harbor and to participate in learning how to protect them from environmental harm.
The APC is grateful to everyone who came down to participate. We understand it was a personal choice on a busy summer weekend to advocate and protect the beauty of our local waterways and we appreciate every individual who came to help! Thank you to our community of water lovers who show UP and take ACTION to preserve the beauty of what we have. Accabonac Harbor (and we) thank you!
And Remember – Our annual meeting is on Sunday, September 21st at 2:00 at the Mullens home on Louse Point. Invitations went out this week. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.
