On September 15, a group of approximately 20 concerned citizens of Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines and Fire Island National Seashore Rangers, whose supervisor is Chief Ranger Lena B. Koschmann, joined forces for the first time pick up litter in the Carrington Tract, the stretch of woods between the Grove and the Pines, colloquially known as the Meat Rack.
Fire Island volunteers and rangers hauled out such debris as a mattress, beach umbrellas, and beer, soda, and water bottles and cans and the rangers had a truck—which some, with gallows humor, had dubbed a Black Maria—at the ready to cart out the trash we collected. The rangers also distributed garbage bags, sticks with which to grasp and pick up the litter, latex gloves, and bottled water.
There were, as we had hoped, no incidents. Many voiced a wish that this new partnership and peaceful cooperation might signal a time of greater understanding and sensitivity. At the end of the venture, Greg McMullen and Steven Sandoval distributed Meat Rack t-shirts, depicting a 12-point buck and designed by Greg, to participants.