Hundreds of Douglaston residents turned out Saturday to remove litter and debris from and to witness the debut of .
Walter Mugdan, president of the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee, said some of the rusted auto parts, large tires and construction debris removed from Old Oak Pond dated back to the 1930s.
But volunteers had less trash to pick up this year. Mugdan attributed this to several factors.
“I think we had a relatively easy winter,” he said. “Storms usually wash trash into the water. But it’s also conceivable that people are doing the right thing and not littering.”
The preservation committee and the Douglas Manor Association also cut the ribbon on Osprey Landing, a .
Now, the upgraded site is reopening to the public for fishing and bird watching.
This summer, architects who are members of the will create a design for a bird watching platform for the locale, said DMA member Tom Oliva.
Then, the preservation committee will work toward getting a city permit for the platform.
“In the fall, the migrating species will come up the eastern seaboard,” Oliva said. “It will be great for the neighborhood to see.”
Mugdan said he estimated that more than 100 people turned out to assist with the cleanup.
“We got a good crowd,” he said. “People were enthusiastic.”
