International Coastal Clean-up

by Pat Kuehn
Volusia County residents can participate in the In-ternational Coastal Cleanup at their choice of over 20 sites along the beach, Halifax River and Indian River from 8 to 11 a.m., Sat., Sept. 18. Volusia County’s Environmental Management Division is hosting the event.
Last year, over 943,195 volunteers around the world collected more than 20 million pounds of trash during the International Coastal Cleanup, which is sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy. Also in 2020, 936 Volusia County volunteers collected 3,257 pounds of trash during the cleanup. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the limited and socially distanced nature of the event, participation was lower than in previous years.
In addition to taking part in the an-nual cleanup, residents can help de-crease marine debris simply by reducing the amount of waste and single use products they generate on a daily basis. Remember the motto, Reduce And Reuse, Then Recycle.
Volunteers can register online at www. volusia.org/cleanup now through Aug. 27. Participants are asked to bring garden gloves, drinking water in refillable bottles, and buckets for collecting trash. They should wear a hat, sunscreen, comfortable clothing, and outdoor footwear. The first 1,500 preregistered participants will receive a token of appreciation after the event.
Some river locations have boat launches where participants are encouraged to bring their kayaks, paddle boards, canoes, or motor boats (where appropriate) to access hard-to-reach coastlines.

For information about the cleanup or to register, visit www.volusia.org/cleanups or contact Sami McCorkle at smccorkle @volusia.org or 386.238.4716.