This year’s Delaware Coastal Cleanup, held Sept. 19, drew a record 2,000 volunteers, according to site captain reports. Volunteers from civic groups to businesses to families cleaned up 42 sites throughout Delaware from Wilmington to Fenwick Island.
“We have some of the most pristine beaches in the nation, and our record volunteer turnout in this year’s Coastal Cleanup demonstrates why,” said Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary Collin O’Mara. “The number of youth groups and students who took part is especially encouraging, because we have a new generation learning hands-on about the importance of keeping trash out of our waterways and marshes and off our beaches.”
Volunteers included numerous Scout troops and 4-H Clubs, high school honor students, a squadron from Dover Air Force Base, employees from a shipping company and several other businesses, a University of Delaware alumni group, a garden club, the Delaware Surf Riders, a skimboarding team, church and school groups, and beach community members and visitors, as well as many families and individuals.
“We had beautiful, sunny fall weather, and hundreds of wonderful and enthusiastic volunteers came out to support this important effort. We’d like to thank each and every one of them for helping to make our waterways and beaches cleaner,” said Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator.
Topping the list of interesting or unusual items this year are a mattress and box spring, two child seats, flip flops, boogie board, bike pedal, baseball glove, metal car ramp, a beached boat, a complete set of clothing and a bathing suit, commercial crab pot, a jar of cherry peppers, shopping cart, sawhorse, hockey stick, two grills (one gas and one charcoal), laundry basket, three dead trees with burlap-wrapped root balls, plastic toy hand grenade and a Coastal Cleanup data card blown by the breeze from the hands of one volunteer into the path of another.
The total amount of trash gathered by the volunteers is still being tallied and will be announced at a later date.
Common items found statewide included food wrappers, a number of propane tanks and thousands of plastic beverage bottles and caps. Site captains at some sites reported that cigarette butts were not as plentiful as in the past, while others were still finding plenty, including Rehoboth Beach, where volunteers gathered more than 4,000.
The Delaware cleanup is just one part of the International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by The Ocean Conservancy, whose sponsorship includes supplying trash bags, data cards and pencils. It is also co-sponsored with Delmarva Power which provides collectable T-shirts for the participants, and Playtex, which proides gloves. DNREC is responsible for organizing the event, recruiting volunteers, distributing supplies, ensuring trash removal and tabulating all the data collected.
The International Coastal Cleanup is the Ocean Conservancy’s flagship program dealing with marine debris and data collection. It is the oldest and largest one-day volunteer effort on behalf of the marine environment. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world help each year to rid the environment of marine debris and collect detailed information on the types and quantities of refuse.
The types and quantities of trash collected in the various locations are recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles the information for all of the cleanups held in the country and around the world. The information helps identify the source of the debris and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it. Delaware’s next Coastal Cleanup is set for Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010. Volunteers are encouraged to preregister to ensure sites receive enough supplies and complementary International Coastal Cleanup T-shirts in appreciation of their effort. Interested volunteers can check out DNREC’s website at dnrec.delaware.gov next summer for registration information.
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