Stash the Trash is one of the 100 events Ossining came up with to brighten the community and celebrate Earth Week.

Aaron Spring, the founder of Stash the Trash Ossining, says it all started in 2019 when he spent weekends picking up litter in his hometown. Now, he has dozens of people who join his mission every Sunday.

"I believe that a clean community is a happy community," Spring says. "We've had something like 70 or so cleanups since Jan. 1, 2020."

Spring partners with school groups and local families to get cleaning.

"When you start seeing things floating around in the streams and the rivers, there are animals that are carrying masks that have been discarded— that's pretty distressing," says Roger Battacharia, a volunteer for the group. "It's up to us to make sure that we take care of the Earth that we're going to inherit or that we're going to pass down to our children."

The group has also expanded their mission to Yonkers, Mount Vernon and other Westchester neighborhoods.

"This is where we live, we have to take pride in where we live," Spring says.

All residents are welcomed to join the Stash the Trash Ossining Facebook group for more information on how to get involved.