Tierra Verde - The 6th annual Coastal Cleanup will be held on Saturday, October 20, from 9am to 12pm at Ft. De Soto Park. Volunteers will meet at Shelter 12 by the Bay Pier. This event is part of the nationwide coastal cleanup during which thousand of volunteers join forces to clean the beaches, causeways, and shorelines across the country. Our local event is coordinated by Tampa Bay Watch and Keep Pinellas Beautiful.
The high amount of recreational beach and bay use in Pinellas County generates a large amount of trash on our local beaches. Tampa Bay Watch sees the Coastal Cleanup as an important way to help Fort De Soto park staff clean up human-generated trash in the park as well as marine debris that floats onto the shoreline from the bay and gulf.
"It's great to go out a couple times a year and give the park a good 'deep cleaning', says Martha Garcia, Environmental Scientist for Tampa Bay Watch, who is organizing the event this Saturday. With over 150 volunteers signed up to help, Tampa Bay Watch and Keep Pinellas Beautiful plan to do just that.
Last year at this event, 130 volunteers collected 5,370 pounds of debris. Tampa Bay Watch and Keep Pinellas Beautiful partner for two other coastal cleanups each year and since 2001 more than 18,000 pounds of debris have been collected! Items found include construction debris, car batteries, and countless cigarette butts.
To participate in the Coastal Cleanup, call Martha Garcia at 727-867-8166 or mgarcia@tampabaywatch.org. Media is invited to join us at FT. De Soto and cover this great photo opportunity of citizens making a difference in their community!