Plastic juice bottles, six-pack plastic rings, plastic bags, foil snack wrappers and shriveled up helium balloons litter New York City's waters. More than 100 children from public housing developments in Staten Island considered the negative impacts of such litter on marine organisms and birds at a recent fishing clinic.

Samples of the litter were collected from a New York City beach in the Rockaways for an aquatic ecology outreach demonstration by Cornell Cooperative Extension's (CCE) Urban Environment's extension educators, in August, at a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) fishing clinic for children in its summer camps at South Beach, Mariner's Harbor, Richmond Terrace and West Brighton, in Staten Island.

The clinic, conducted by CCE on the fishing pier at Midland Beach in Staten Island, included stations to teach baiting, casting and reeling, and fishing, as well as stations on environmental stewardship and ethics.

NYCHA Eugene Kitt, a master angler trained by CCE, coordinated the day's events. He was assisted by Cornell Hampton, also from NYCHA, who was trained eight years ago by CCE on aquatic ecology, sport fishing, outdoor ethics and conservation, as well as appropriate strategies to use in working with youth audiences in environmental educational activities.

"We're proud to see that Mr. Kitt and Mr. Hampton have applied what they learned from Cornell Extension in helping NYC's youth learn about and care for their urban environment," said Véronique Lambert, extension associate in CCE's Urban Environment program in New York City.