Registrations being taken for International Coastal Cleanup
Registration is currently open for the annual International Coastal Cleanup set for Sept. 18.
Keep Lee County Beautiful serves as the Lee County coordinator for the Ocean Conservancy event, while the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation assists as coordinator for the on-island sites.
“The amount of trash that’s going into our waterways keeps increasing,” KLCB Program Coordinator Mike Thomas said. “So we want to do everything possible to stop that.”
He explained that trash along the shorelines, water bodies and such does not remain in place.
“A good storm rolls in and all that gets flushed into our waterways,” Thomas said. “Eventually, everything makes it way into the Gulf of Mexico.”
Every September for 34 years, the event has motivated over 12 million people around the world to pick up more than 147 million pounds of trash from over 300,000 miles of shoreline, according to KLCB.
SCCF Facilities and Events Manager Jeff Siwicke explained that the organization coordinates the Sanibel and Captiva sites, even North Captiva, while KLCB oversees the countywide effort.
“How could an organization like SCCF not do stuff like this? This is right up our alley,” he said, citing its mission to protect and care for local coastal ecosystems, plus its sea turtle and shorebird programs. “It’s very important not just for the community service aspect, but for the work we do, as well.”
For those interested in participating, the SCCF has divided Sanibel up into 24 sections, with one additional section on Captiva. The smaller sections are perfect for a family to handle, while the larger sections will allow for several small groups to take part in the cleanup in an independent manner.
Although many sections are capped at two signups, large groups or families can work together.
“We are not promoting gathering outside of groups,” Siwicke said. “We encourage social distancing.”
“SCCF is very conscious about this,” he added. “We want this is be as safe as possible for everyone.”
Siwicke explained that the SCCF is partnering with the Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts and ‘Tween Waters Island Resort and Spa for the Captiva site, due to the uncertainly with a planned project.
“We’re kind of unsure of the beach renourishment project and what we are planning on doing,” he said, adding that the access and availability of beach to clean will likely be a moving target until day of.
The cleanup is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon. As of Aug. 20, only two sections were filled up.
KLCB is coordinating at least 10 sites across the county, including one on the Sanibel Causeway Islands. On Aug. 20, 10 of the 45 Causeway spots were available. Its cleanup is set for 8 to 11 a.m.
Participants at KLCB sites will be provided supplies, including water, garbage bags, latex gloves, neck buffs and hand sanitizer, at check-in that morning; bringing a reusable water bottle is encouraged.
Face masks and social distancing will be required during the check-in process.
Participants at the SCCF sections can pick up their supplies, including garbage bags, gloves and data sheets, during the week prior to the cleanup at the Sanibel Sea School, at 455 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.
“These we’ll make available the week before,” Siwicke said.
The Captiva section, however, will have a volunteer coordinator on site for check in and parking the morning of the cleanup. The coordinator will provide those participants with supplies at that time.
“We will have a separate coordinator up there,” he said.
On the day of the event, participants can either track the amount of trash that they collect using the provided data sheets, or by downloading and utilizing the Ocean Conservancy Clean Swell app.
For the KLCB sites and Captiva section, the garbage will be collected on site for disposal.
“Those volunteers on Captiva will be able to bring their collected trash back there,” Siwicke said, referring to the check-in station and volunteer coordinator.
For participants at the Sanibel sections, their garbage will be collected and weighed at the SCCF offices, at 3333 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, until noon. Free event T-shirts will also be available.
“There I will collect data sheets from them if they used data sheets,” he said.
Siwicke, however, invited participants to use the app as it makes inputting the data easier.
“And we’ll have a limited amount of T-shirts,” Siwicke said.
The community is encouraged to register to take part.
“This year is sort of a unique situation based on the pandemic of the last year and Florida being opened up. There seems to be excess or an above normal amount of trash on the beaches this year,” he said, noting that recent storms could have turned up the Gulf’s waters and pushed things back onto the shore.
“It’d be really really great to get the beaches cleaned up from that,” Siwicke added.
Thomas shared a similar sentiment.
“You want to help preserve and protect the world that we live in,” he said. “And you have fun while you’re doing it. You get outside and walk the beach and know that you’re doing something good.”
“You will make a difference,” Thomas added.
For more information or to register for the SCCF sections on Sanibel and Captiva, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4dabae2ea7fac43-sanibelcaptiva1.
For questions, contact the SCCF at sccf@sccf.org.
For more information or to register for the KLCB sites, including the Causeway Islands, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094aaaaa2ca4f49-2021.
For questions, contact Thomas at mike@klcb.org.