Annual Coastal Cleanup Scheduled
Participants from a previous coastal cleanup. TIERRA VERDE - Tampa Bay Watch in partnership with 10 Connects, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, and Tampa Bay Beautification plans a mid-summer coastal cleanup of Fort De Soto Park and Picnic Island Park on Saturday, July 10, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. A land and sea based cleanup will be deployed to clean up both parks. Kayakers are welcome to participate in the water-based cleanup. This is a great opportunity to give back to areas that the community loves and enjoys. 10 Connects has joined forces with Tampa Bay Watch as part of their "Connecting Green" initiative with the goal of increasing awareness of protecting and restoring the marine and wetland environments of the Tampa Bay estuary to the Tampa Bay community. Tampa Bay Watch sees the Coastal Cleanup as an important way to help park staff clean up human-generated trash in the park as well as marine debris that floats onto the shorelines from Tampa Bay and Gulf of Mexico, also protecting wildlife from unnecessary injury or death. "Coastal Cleanups are a great family event and great way to keep our and oceans clean", said Martha Gruber, Environmental Scientist for Tampa Bay Watch. Since 2001, more than 20,000 pounds of debris have been collected, including items like Styrofoam cups, construction debris, car batteries and countless cigarette butts, party balloons and plastic bags. Tampa Bay Watch is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) stewardship program dedicated exclusively to the charitable and scientific purpose of protecting and restoring the marine and wetland environments of the Tampa Bay estuary encompassing over 400 square miles of open water and 2,300 square miles of highly- developed watershed. Tampa Bay Watch involves more than 10,000 youth and adult volunteers each year in hands on habitat restoration projects. For more information, visit www.tampabaywatch.org, or call (727) 867-8166.
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