The Weird and Wonderful World of Keep Rockland Beautiful

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! At least, sometimes. Coconuts, billboards, and animal skulls are all some of the peculiar objects found throughout Rockland thanks to the volunteers at Keep Rockland Beautiful (KRB) who work tirelessly to dispose of some less-than-treasured items.

For nearly 30 years, KRB has served as a leader in environmental education and community engagement in Rockland County. Through its expanding range of programs, the organization continues to create opportunities for residents to get involved and make a difference.

According to Marisa Marrone, Executive Director of KRB, as of May 11, 923 adult volunteers, 369 teens and 282 children had participated in local cleanups. Together, these over 1,500 volunteers have collected more than 15 tons of trash. Over the course of the spring, there will be 35 total clean-up sites spanning from April to June.

Among the strangest discoveries of these stalwart volunteers include a mysterious sign for a pizza place no one recognized, the front of a safe and bags of coins, a large spool of cable, and a paycheck that volunteers speculated must have flown from someone’s window.  

Marrone shared that the Greatest American Cleanup has been extended through July 4 in preparation for America 250 celebrations. “This is a great opportunity for volunteers to get involved by joining one of our community cleanup events or coordinating their own cleanup at a time and location that works best for them,” Marrone said. “Helping our local towns and villages look their best will make this year’s celebration even sweeter.”

Palisades Community Cleanup organizer Carol Knudson, who is also involved with the Sparkill Creek Watershed Alliance, utilized her network of environmentalists to  help tackle illegal dumping during their cleanup. While cleaning, volunteers found large electronic refrigerators, approximately two to three feet high and wide, abandoned along the roadside. “The town won’t pick [electrical and mechanical equipment] up,” Knudson said. However, Knudson explained that if the fridges were taken to a cleanup and received a KRB sticker, then the town would dispose of the electronics. Knudson said the discoveries during cleanups, which consist largely of electronics and car parts, reveal the frequency of illegal dumping throughout the county.

Volunteers participating in KRB cleanups place official stickers on filled trash and recycling bags, which are then left roadside for pickup and reported to each municipality. “It’s kind of a slippery slope,” she said. “I don’t advocate for people to leave their trash on the side of the road. It’s so hard to bring back tires and sometimes there’s a fee, but with the cleanups, the town will pick them up thanks to the stickers.” She said she wished there was a way to deal with illegal dumping when the KRB cleanups are not happening, but the system seems to be a good start. 

“When you see [litter] as somebody else’s problem, it absolves you of your participation, [and] you lose the value of our land,”  Knudson said. Knudson reported collecting 28 bags of trash, 12 bags of recycling, and three tires with the help of 21 volunteers at her Palisades Community Cleanup. “I get out there as much as I can to pick up trash,” she said. “Taking ownership of anything, you realize the value more, [of] our land, our homes, our communities,” she said. 

New City Community Cleanup organizer Lisa Licari reported finding “lip gloss, a small arrow, a broken mirror, fake rose petals, a bowling ball, a set of pots, and, sadly, a deer jaw.”

“A few years ago, someone found $50,” Licari added. “I guess it literally pays to pick up litter!” Licari’s group collected 38 bags of trash with 35 volunteers. She has participated with KRB since 2022, first as a volunteer and later as a cleanup leader.

In Tappan and Orangetown, organizer Allison Kardon shared how one family with two young boys found a now-infamous coconut, along with a seashell. Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny also reportedly found two extra-large tires.

Altogether, the Tappan/Orangetown cleanup collected 31 bags of trash with the help of 50 volunteers. “We all love Orangetown and we want to keep it beautiful,” Kardon said. “We love to do it every year.”

At the West Haverstraw Village Hall and Community Center cleanup, organizer Katie Welsh said volunteers found “only three shopping carts” and a large Monster Energy billboard can. That site hosted 80 volunteers, who collected 43 bags of garbage, seven bags of recycling, and one tire, coming out to roughly half a ton of debris.

It was thanks to the West Nyack Heritage Club that this story came together. After attending one of their meetings and hearing about the bizarre items volunteers had uncovered, the idea for this article struck. West Nyack Heritage Club Vice President Madeline Muller shared how when she hosted a cleanup, she discovered an unusual yellow bear figurine, a small train ornament, and what she described as a “peculiar sponge thing.”

If you’re interested in volunteering, and maybe finding something strange yourself, visit KeepRocklandBeautiful.org for more information. The next clean up dates are as follows:

-Pearl River Rotary on May 23rd

-Spring Valley High School Cleanup on May 27th, 

-Village of Montebello on May 31st

-Pearl River Lions Club on June 6th

-New City Rotary on June 27th.

Let’s keep up the good work picking up trash and respecting the environment!