“There’s a lot that needs to be done. There’s a lot of debris, trash, things like that. And so this is the first time we’ve taken initiative to clean it,” said program manager Melissa Sotelo-Wright.

The group has operated for more than 15 years, much of its work centered on the Thomas Pell Wildlife Sanctuary. Over the past two years, its efforts have expanded into the Bronx and Westchester.

“The hope is that we clean it to a way that people in the neighborhood can appreciate it and use it,” Sotelo-Wright said.

Among the volunteers was Amelia Zaino, a member since 2017. She said the work is about building community. “I’ve met people who care about the same things that I do, which is very inspiring. And it makes you feel like you belong to something bigger than yourself.”

Sotelo-Wright shared a photo with News 12 showing the trash pulled from Pelham Bay Park during the first cleanup effort. She said the group collected nearly 1,500 pounds of trash in two hours.

The Hutchinson River Restoration Project has additional cleanup events scheduled in April and plans to transition to monthly cleanups. Neighbors interested in volunteering can sign up at [HutchinsonRiver.org]HutchinsonRiver.org.

Saturday’s cleanup was held in partnership with Pelham Bay Park and the New York City Department of Sanitation.