Keeping the beach clean, one butt and a time

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

More than 400 Flagler County volunteers reported to nine access points beachside Saturday, Sept. 15, stretching from Marineland to Gamble Rogers for the International Coastal Cleanup.

The top three beaches cleaned were Flagler Beach, Hammock Beach and Marineland.

Although as of Monday, not all collected cards had been tallied, the leading piece of trash collected was once again cigarette butts, followed by food wrappers, bottle caps and straws.

“Many (volunteers) commented that (the beach) wasn’t all that trashy, which was wonderful because that’s what we’re trying to achieve,” said Sallie O’Hara, program administrator for Friends of A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byways.

To continue to keep the beaches clean, O’Hara encourages members of the community to adopt a beach or section of the beach by calling the Friends of A1A, at 904-425-8055.

By adopting a two-mile section of beach, the group agrees to clean at least four times a year. They will be provided gloves and bags, and signage will be displayed with the group’s name on the roadside.