Maura speaks to a crowd of clean-up participants at Bayview Park, Mastic Beach/ Photo Credit: Jessamyn Go
Mastic Beach: Finding Community in Conservation
By Vincent Anthony
Imagine for a moment a 6.5-mile-long coastline in an oceanside community, just 65 miles outside of New York City. Surely it conjures up images of waves, sand, and vegetation – and, probably, an inaccessible price tag. Mastic Beach, a hamlet on the East End of Long Island, has all the beauty, with a lower cost but a disparaged reputation. Maura Spery, the director of the Mastic Beach Conservancy, formed a community organization that aims to clean up the area’s waterfront so that its natural beauty is preserved, but still accessible for residents. This is the story of why Mastic Beach… and why Maura.
Produced by Vincent Anthony.
Edited by Amanda Aronczyk.
Veralyn Williams is the managing editor.
Mixed and mastered by Amber Watson.
Special thanks to Mary Cunningham and Hannah Kathryn Valles.
Music credits:
“Timestep” by Erokia:
https://freesound.org/people/Erokia/sounds/616279/
“Sunrise Dub Loop” by Serge Quadrado:
https://freesound.org/people/SergeQuadrado/sounds/683502/