Ocean Conservancy now has a new searchable online registration system for the International Coastal Cleanup helping volunteers find a cleanup site in their hometown. This year the International Coastal Cleanup will take place Saturday, September 19. Some of these cleanup efforts will involve underwater trash search and recovery. The International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer effort to help protect the ocean. Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers hit their local beaches, lakes, and rivers with a common mission of improving the health of the ocean and waterways. In one day, they removed and tallied 6.8 million pounds of debris, from 6,485 sites in 100 countries and 42 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. To find a 2009 cleanup site near you, visit: www.oceanconservancy.org and search on a world map or by town or zip code.
Each year, volunteers from around the world spend a few hours removing trash and debris from beaches, lakes, rivers and other waterways keeping track of every piece of trash they find. Ocean Conservancy uses that information to produce the world’s only annual country-by-country, state-by-state index of the problem of marine debris. The report is shared with the public, industry, and government officials as we work together to end to problem of marine debris.
For additional information about the International Coastal Cleanup, and to sign up to be a part of the next wave of volunteers, visit: www.oceanconservancy.org/cleanup.
