Friends of A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway to host beach cleanup Saturday
On Saturday, Sept. 16, the Friends of A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, Inc., will be hosting St. Augustine’s coastal cleanup in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy and the International Coastal Cleanup efforts to do so globally.
Friends of A1A’s Byway organization will join millions of volunteers worldwide working to clean local beaches, streams, parks and neighborhoods.
Participants from the St. Augustine Beach Civic Association, Friends of Anastasia State Park, Keepers of the Coast, UF/IFAS Extension Offices, the Rotary Club of St. Augustine Beach, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts Clubs, Flagler College's Green Team, local school clubs and businesses will be among almost 18 million volunteers who have collected more than 350 million pounds of trash since the program began.
International Coastal Cleanup Day began with the efforts Linda Maraniss and Kathy O’Hara. More than 30 years ago, they worked at Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental agency that specializes in formulating resolutions and policies at federal and governmental levels.
What began as a simple idea to clean beach trash before it was swept – or blown – into the water has become a global phenomenon.
The collected trash was studied to understand its origin, how long it would take to disintegrate, and how the disintegration impacted marine life. These findings were sent to the government. Determined to prevent further damage, lobbying efforts were initiated to prevent more dumping.
Danielle Anderson, the Byway’s program administrator, described the Friends of A1A as a leading organizer.
“We take pride in supporting our community by providing the necessary supplies to take part in this event, while continuing to beautify the coastal corridor,” she said. “The event’s super fun because you know you're making an impact, but you never know what you'll find!”
Anderson described the event as a collaborative, ongoing effort to ensure that beaches and waterways remain healthy and beautiful.
Gloves and bags will be provided. Sturdy shoes, protective covering and plenty of water is highly recommended.
Cleanup occurs between 8-11 a.m., though participants have the option to clean debris as long as they wish.
For more information email danielle_anderson@ScenicA1A.org.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Friends of A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway to host beach cleanup
