Maryland, Delaware officials kick off cleanup

State officials and environmental advocates officially kicked off the drive for volunteers to support this year’s Coastal Cleanup, a statewide effort to clean up Delaware shorelines, which will be held Saturday, Sept. 25.

Coastal Point • Chris Clark
Representatives for the 2010 Coastal Point kicked off the drive for volunteers to help cleanup Delaware and Maryland beaches, bays and state parks.
The kick-off event was held at Ocean City, Md.’s 146th Street, at the Delaware/Maryland line, on the beach, with Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary Colin O’Mara, Delaware Coastal Cleanup Coordinator Joanna Wilson, Matt Likovich of Delmarva Power (a sponsor of the event), Maryland Park Ranger John Somers from Janes Island State Park in Crisfield, Md., and Kathy Phillips, executive director of the Assateague Coastal Trust present to show off the official 2010 Coastal Cleanup T-shirt and to encourage volunteers to sign up early.

“We have some of the most pristine beaches in the nation, and our record volunteer turnout for last year’s Coastal Cleanup demonstrates why,” said O’Mara. “A dedicated and diverse group of volunteers are what makes this event a success. The number of youth groups and students who take part each year 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.”

DNREC officials reported that last year’s Coastal Cleanup drew a record 2,000 volunteers from civic organizations, youth groups, businesses and families. They collected about 9.6 tons of trash from 41 sites along Delaware’s shorelines and tributaries. Some of the more unusual finds included an iron blast furnace, weed-whacker, child safety seats, baseball glove, hockey stick, toilet tank float, shopping carts, two grills, an air conditioner and a jar of cherry peppers.

Delaware’s Cleanup is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s 25th annual International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest annual clearing of trash from coastlines and lakes by volunteers. The types and quantities of trash collected are then 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. This information helps identify the source of the debris and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it.

Coastal Delaware sites include Bethany Beach, South Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, the unincorporated areas of Sussex County near Fenwick, Cape Henlopen State Park – bay side, Cape Henlopen State Park – ocean side, Cape Henlopen State Park – Gordons Pond, Delaware Seashore State Park North, Delaware Seashore State Park South, Fenwick Island State Park, Holts Landing State Park and Cape Henlopen State Park – Herring Point. For more information on meeting places, directions, or other sites throughout the state, visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov/CoastalCleanup/Pages/CoastalCleanupSites.aspx.

This year’s Cleanup also falls on National Estuaries Day, an annual celebration of the vibrant coastal areas where rivers meet the sea, which is held to promote the importance of estuaries and the need to protect them.

Trash bags, data cards and pencils are supplied by the Ocean Conservancy. Delaware’s cleanup is also co-sponsored with Delmarva Power which provides T-shirts, and Playtex, which provides gloves. DNREC is responsible for organizing the event, recruiting volunteers, distributing supplies, ensuring trash removal and tabulating all the data collected, and many municipalities help with the trash pick-up.

The rain date for the event is set for the following Saturday, Oct. 2.

Volunteers are being encouraged to pre-register to ensure everyone has the supplies they need and to receive a complementary T-shirt. To register online, visit DNREC’s Web site, at www.dnrec.delaware.gov and click on the link for the Coastal Cleanup. For more information, call Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator, at (302) 739-9902.
For information about the Ocean Conservancy and the International Coastal Cleanup, visit www.oceanconservancy.org.