Coastal Watch: Annual cleanup was biggest so far
As part of the Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup, Coastal Watch hosted volunteers to pick up garbage and debris on Sept. 21 on the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva.
This year’s clean up was its biggest event to date, with 415 volunteers across Sanibel, Captiva and North Captiva beaches. Coastal Watch reported that volunteers showed up in full force, filling an entire dumpster with a total of 1,180 pounds of trash as they worked to protect coastlines and marine life.
“This year’s turnout has truly blown me away. Seeing so many people come together with a shared passion for protecting our coastlines is inspiring,” Director Kealy Pfau said. “The dedication of our volunteers and community partners proves that we are all united in our mission to keep our oceans clean and healthy.”
More than 25 groups were represented, including Bank of the Islands, F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors and more.
“As a Fort Myers local, I’ve been participating in International Coastal Cleanup Day with my family since I was a small child. It’s incredible to see how much it has grown over the years,” F.I.S.H. Social Media and Resource Manager Emery Lowden said. “Each year, I’m reminded of the amazing community we have here — people really show up to take care of our beaches, which means so much to our island community. I’m truly grateful to be a part of something this special and to see so many people come together for a common cause.”
Coastal Watch extended its thanks to the following sponsors and partners:
– Keep Lee County Beautiful, which organized cleanup efforts throughout the county.
– Bank of the Islands, which provided post-clean up lunches for the volunteers.
– Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, which donated the lunches and crafted a special menu.
– Hooked Dumpsters, which provided the dumpster for proper disposal of the trash.
It thanked the Sanibel Moorings Resort and Island Inn for allowing volunteers to park in their lots during the event and Bailey’s General Store, the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium and Sanibel Recreation Center for donating hundreds of buckets that were used during the clean up.
The buckets will be recycled for use at Coastal Watch’s beach bucket stations.
“I’m beyond grateful for everyone who made this event possible and proud to be part of such an incredible community of ocean advocates,” Pfau said.
Since the conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup began in 1986, over 18 million volunteers have collected nearly 385 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways around the world.