On May 3rd, 2025, AYLUS Oakland Gardens held its 149th event at the Udall’s Cove and Ravine Natural Resource Area. Organized by Walter Mugdan, today’s event focused on cleaning up accumulated trash around the Udall’s Cove area to beautify the space and provide visitors with a more pleasant experience. The overall event lasted from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM, with around 35 of our members in attendance.
Walter Mugdan has served as President of the Udall’s Cove Preservation Committee, a local conservation group in northeastern Queens, for 22 years. Every year, Mugdan and his team invite various organizations to contribute to the Udall’s Cove Annual Cleanup. This year, important figures such as State Senator Toby Stavisky and Assemblyman Ed Braunstein also joined the effort. The cleanup marked the 56th Annual Udall’s Cove Cleanup and was also the first year our branch was invited to participate.
Before the main event officially began, all participating organizations, including our branch, gathered at the back road of Aurora Pond. This meeting point was essential, as the cleanup spanned multiple local wildlife areas and shorelines, requiring careful distribution of participants to maximize efficiency. During this time, Walter Mugdan delivered a speech, expressing his gratitude to the volunteers and outlining the day’s objectives. He provided details about the specific areas to be cleaned and offered directions to the various sites. The Udall’s Cove organization then distributed work gloves, trash bags, and maps to all volunteers.
Given that the majority of the trash was concentrated along the Udall’s Cove shoreline, our team opted to focus on this area. After organizing our members into parent cars, we drove to 10 Jumpier Dr, located near the shore entrance. Once we reassembled, we walked along a forest trail leading to the shoreline. Upon reaching the end, the scene was far from pleasant: the low tide had exposed a substantial amount of plastic waste. Despite the challenging conditions, our group, alongside other volunteers, immediately set to work. Some participants used black plastic bags to collect the trash, while others utilized garbage pickers or, at times, worked directly with their hands. Despite the challenging environment, our group succeeded in leaving the area much cleaner by removing the majority of the plastic waste. Thanks to the combined efforts of all volunteers, we collected a total of 25 cubic yards of trash!
After the main cleanup, some of our members returned to the Pond and continued along the opposite side of the shore toward Memorial Field. There, the Udall’s Cove organization had generously arranged a picnic to thank all volunteers. They provided sandwiches, sides, fruit, snacks, and cold drinks for us to enjoy. It was inspiring seeing so many different groups coming together with a shared goal of cleaning up our environment. From this side of the park, we could look out across the waterway and appreciate how much cleaner and more beautiful the shore looked for all visitors.
During the picnic, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to speak and exchange with members of the Udall’s Cove Preservation Committee. Alongside President Mugdan, Gunko Savage, the Committee’s Treasurer, and Gary Savage, who coordinated 25 members from Birmingham University for the event, provided valuable insights into the organization. The Udall’s Cove Preservation Committee was founded in 1970, on the first day of Global Earth Celebrations. Gunko and Garry Savage have participated in 35 years of annual cleanup, and they intend to continue to do sp. They noted that there is always an abundance of trash in the area, making these cleanups essential. By restoring habitats destroyed by pollution, they have seen wildlife consistently return to the region. We also introduced them to our AYLUS branch and described our mission to preserve our community. Although this was our first year participating in the cleanup, the Committee expressed that they would have been overwhelmed without our help. While the Udall’s Cove property is managed by the NYC Park Department, the Committee often faces staffing shortages, making their efforts all the more challenging. They expressed hope that our volunteer group will return for future cleanups, as they will undoubtedly need all the assistance they can get.
We would like to extend our thanks to Mr. Walter Mugdan and all other members of the Udall’s Cove Preservation Committee for inviting us to their annual event! While you have expressed your appreciation for our help, we are equally grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with you and hope to work together again in future cleanups. We also want to express our gratitude to our parent advisor team for their continued support of our members. Finally, we would like to thank all the AYLUS Oakland Gardens members who participated today. Your efforts have contributed to the preservation of Udall’s Cove, ensuring it will be enjoyed by visitors for years to come!
Our volunteers ：
1. Jia Qi Liu: 4 hours
2. Hong Hao Liu : 4 hours
3. Iokseng Lin : 4 hours
4. Ioklee Lin : 4 hours
5. Ioknor Lin : 4 hours
6. Stephanie You : 4 hours
7. Sophia You : 4 hours
8. Vicki Lin : 4 hours
9. Brandon Lin : 4 hours
10. Aiden Lin : 4 hours
11. Matthew Lin : 4 hours
12. Isabella Wang : 4 hours
13. Sophia Li : 2.5 hours
14. Queena Li : 2.5 hours
15. Yifei Mei : 2.5 hours
16. Opal Tsai : 2.5 hours
17. Kaisa Wu : 2.5 hours
18. Alana Lin : 2.5 hours
19. Felix Lin : 2.5 hours
20. Jerry Shan : 2.5 hours
21. Katrina Zhang : 2.5 hours
22. Kaitlyn Zhang : 2.5 hours
23. Haoze Gao : 2.5 hours
24. Ruolin Gao : 2.5 hours
25. Henry Liu : 2.5 hours
26. Zhengyilan Fang : 2.5 hours
27. Shiqi Zheng : 2.5 hours
28. Xitong Zheng : 2.5 hours
29. Henry Jiang : 2.5 hours
30. Adrian Jiang : 2.5 hours
31. Albert Tang : 2.5 hours
32. Patrick Yeung: 1 hour
33. Benny Yeung: 1 hour
Parent Adviser Team:
Teng Fei Liu: 5.5 hours
Hsinhui Liao: 5.5 hours
Cui Fang Li: 5.5 hours
Report written by: Brandon Lin
Reviewed by: Jia Qi (Angela) Liu
