LI Herald: Webb Students Give Welwyn Preserve Much Needed TLC

Welwyn Preserve, on Crescent Beach Road, was once a little-known gem in Glen Cove, a place many enjoyed for the solitude of a quiet hike on a trail or down to the shore of Long Island Sound. But what previously attracted few became a destination for many over the past year, as people searched for outdoor activities. The influx of visitors, combined with a year of heavy winds, left the preserve in dire need of cleaning up.

Last Friday, dozens of students from the Webb Institute volunteered to do just that. “It’s been a little abandoned, and we have thousands of people coming through on the weekends now,” Jolanta Zamecka, president of Friends of Welwyn Preserve, said. “Welwyn is such an important preserve to this community, and people have discovered Welwyn and its fantastic trails.”

Webb students Luke Herbermann and Jackson Juska helped organize the volunteer effort after contacting Zamecka earlier this spring. “We had a Welwyn cleanup two years ago, mostly picking up trash, and thought it would be better this year to reach out,” Herbermann, 22, explained. “We wanted to make it a big deal because it had kind of died out last year.”

He and Juska encouraged other students to get involved, Herbermann said, and a crew of about 75 spent a few hours on Friday afternoon clearing branches, removing trash and painting.