We all have our quirks...and one of mine is that I can't stand litter. I almost always have a bucket and picker in the trunk of my car and find myself picking up trash everywhere I go.
I love getting others involved as well to see what a difference they can make in just a couple hours, which is why I hosted weekly cleanups last month around Suffolk County's beautiful beaches. Check it out:
There's no question I picked up this trash-cleaning habit from my mother, who could regularly be found walking up and down our street when I was growing up, always leaving a place cleaner than she found it.
Through this simple act, she taught me what it means to truly have a stake in your community and its wellbeing -- it means you do your part.
On Long Island, we live above a sole source aquifer, which means the drinking water beneath our feet is particularly vulnerable to contamination. Our families, and families for generations to come, ought to be able to enjoy our beaches and rely on clean drinking water. But it takes us -- the people leading this community today -- volunteering a little of our precious downtime to keep our environment as clean and as beautiful as it's always been.
