A great blue heron, pictured with a set of plastic rings wrapped around its neck.

Please join the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) for the 26th Annual International Coastal Cleanup, scheduled to take place this Saturday, Sept. 17.

SCCF invites you to participate in an international volunteer effort to rid our coastlines and waterways of marine litter, pollution and debris. Last year, approximately 400,000 volunteers worldwide removed an estimated 6.8 million pounds of coastal trash that can hurt local economies, injure and kill marine wildlife, and choke the ocean environment.

SCCF’S partner in the Ocean Conservancy’s 26th Annual Coastal Cleanup is Keep Lee County Beautiful and Bailey’s General Store.

Participation is easy, so bring your friends and family to SCCF’s Nature Center at 3333 Sanibel-Captiva Road between 9 a.m. and noon to check in and pick up your Coastal Cleanup data cards and trash bags. Please bring your own water to reduce the use of plastic water bottles.

Lunch and snacks on the Nature Center porch will be available thanks to Bailey’s General Store from 10 a.m. until noon as well as a dumpster to deposit your trash.

Last year, volunteers picked up 3,216,991 cigarettes and plastic filters topping the worldwide marine litter list. Plastic bags came in second with 1,377,141 collected. Trash in the ocean is one of the most widespread problems threatening our waterways and wildlife and it is all preventable.

If you have any questions, want to pick your “clean up” spot or get your data cards ahead of time, please call Dee at 472-2329. See you at the Coastal Cleanup!