Annual global cleanup to return to islands
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s (SCCF) Coastal Watch is signing up volunteers to collect trash on the beaches for the Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup.
The islands’ event will be held on Sept. 19, with gear pick up taking place beforehand.
“Protecting our coasts isn’t something SCCF or the city of Sanibel can do alone,” Coastal Watch Director Kealy Pfau said. “It takes residents, visitors, businesses and community organizations all working together.”
“The ICC (International Coastal Cleanup) is one of the best examples of stewardship and action,” she added. “It reminds us that protecting the coast isn’t someone else’s responsibility. It’s something that we all have to do together.”
Volunteers will help pick up any nonnatural debris.
“It’s a wide range of items that come back at the end of the cleanup,” Pfau said. “Usually, we see bottle caps, plastic bottles, food wrappers, fishing line, cigarette butts. But it’s usually the smallest pieces of plastic that have the most harm to our environment.”
She noted that last year over 250 volunteers removed more than 900 pounds of trash.
“Most of that was small pieces of plastic or fishing line. So we didn’t get a lot of big items, but we got a lot of little items,” Pfau said. “It’s crucial to get off of the beach so it doesn’t get ingested by wildlife and also doesn’t go back into the water.”
This year’s cleanup will likely involve about two dozens areas.
“We are aiming for 24 sites across Sanibel and Captiva, both on the bayside and on the Gulfside,” she said.
For those interested off island, Keep Lee County Beautiful is taking part in the ICC on Sept. 19 from 8 to 10 a.m. with multiple sites across Lee County. It typically holds one at the Causeway Islands Park.
As for the Sanibel-Captiva event, group registration is open from now through Aug. 10.
It is for those with five or more people.
“So that’s for businesses, families, organizations, community groups,” she said.
Sign-ups will open on Aug. 12 for individuals and any groups with less than five people.
“So that is allowing anyone to participate,” Pfau said.
Bank of the Islands is the T-shirt sponsor and will provide those for volunteers.
The community is encouraged to register.
“It’s a great way to spend a Saturday morning with your friends or coworkers. It’s great team building, and it’s team building with a purpose,” she said. “You spend a couple of hours out on the beach, enjoying nature and doing your part for the islands.”
To sign up for group registration, email coastalwatch@sccf.org.
Individuals and small groups will be able to register via POINT at https://pointapp.org/orgs/2095.
For questions or more information, contact coastalwatch@sccf.org.