Kiwanis collegians clean up overgrown Riverhead park

The Sound Avenue Nature Preserve got spruced up this weekend, thanks to the efforts of a group of college students from across the state who were on Long Island for a meeting and decided to add some community service to their weekend.

Members of the N.Y. district board of Circle K International, the collegiate branch of Kiwanis International, pulled weeds and cleaned up the overgrown park, which was opened by Riverhead Town in October 2012 for walking and hiking.

“We heard that there was a need out here and we had some free time this weekend, so we decided to come out and help.” said N.Y. Circle K district governor Renee Girard, of East Moriches, a hospitality management student at Cornell University. Girard is a 2011 graduate of McGann-Mercy High School.

Circle K members from Syracuse, RPI, Binghamton, Buffalo, New Paltz, Fordham, LIU/Post, Stony Brook, St. John’s University and Queens College worked at the site Sunday morning. They were at Girard’s house for a N.Y. district board meeting of the student-led organization on Saturday.

“Often we are just focused on ourselves, especially when you’re in college,” Girard explained. “All of these students go out and serve their communities every week during the school year. We wanted to do something of service as a group during the summer.”

The service was sorely needed, Riverhead Councilman James Wooten said.

The 15-acre town-owned preserve, opened in October 2012, had become very overgrown due to lack of maintenance, Wooten said. The town’s buildings and grounds division, which maintains all town facilities and parks has too great a workload, Wooten said.

“We’re trying to involve the community,” the councilman said. “The preserve was almost being lost.”

Boy Scout David Prentiss made improving the preserve his Eagle Scout project and last month installed birdhouses and benches there, Wooten said. There will be a ceremony acknowledging his efforts this fall, he said.

A new sign will soon be installed by Wedel Sign Company, Wooten said.

The town allocated $75,000 out of open space funds to create the preserve, Wooten said. “We’ve done a lot of the work ourselves,” he said. Town highway department and buildings and grounds crews worked initially to get the preserve opened.

“We’re tyring to beautify it,” Wooten said.

Circle K International has a membership of more than 11,000 college students on more than 500 campuses worldwide, according to the group’s website. Like Kiwanis International overall, its mission is service to others. The collegiate branch builds leadership skills and fosters fellowship and friendship among like-minded young adults.

Girard says the group is her “constant inspiration to make the world a better place.”

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Peter Blasl
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