- May 8, 2024
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Port Orange residents can join other citizens from Volusia County and the rest of the world during a global event to remove trash from beaches, rivers and parks.
The International Coastal Cleanup, which will be combined with the Halifax/Indian River Cleanup, will take place from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16. Last year, Volusia County had a record number of volunteers at 2,131.
Once again, the Environmental Management Division is asking residents to come out and help keep their city clean during the morning project. Sea Turtle Habitat Conservation Plan Field Manager Becki O'Keefe wrote in an email that this year they are hoping to have more than 2,000 volunteers for this year's cleanup.
Last year, more than 7,000 pounds of trash were collected by Volusia County volunteers. Worldwide, more than 500,000 volunteers collected more than 18 million pounds of trash during the International Coastal Cleanup, which is sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy.
O'Keefe explained the trash accumulated in the area endangers both marine life and the people and communities that depend on a healthy ocean.
"Trash can be a threat to economies. Coastal municipalities spend a tremendous amount of money trying to prevent trash from reaching the ocean," she wrote. "Trash can be a threat to human health and to wildlife. Marine wildlife may become entangled or ingest trash. This can make them ill even causing fatalities."
Volusia County has been coordinating both the Halifax/Indian River Cleanup and a localized International Coastal Cleanup since the early 2000's. According to O'Keefe, in 2012, Volusia County combined the International Coastal Cleanup with the Halifax/Indian River Cleanup to enhance the environmental impact.
O'Keefe noted the amount of trash collected by volunteers has fluctuated since the county combined the International Coastal Cleanup and the Halifax/Indian River Cleanup. However, the amount of volunteers participating has been
steadily increasing.
As for what people can do on a day-to-day basis, O'Keefe wrote that simple tasks such as picking up trash, filling in holes and knocking over sandcastles before leaving are all important. It is currently sea turtle nesting season in Volusia County meaning hundreds of sea turtles, which could include loggerhead Whitney who was rescued and released, come onshore to nest. Trash, holes and sandcastles can all be problematic for these nesting sea turtles, according to O'Keefe.
"As the saying goes 'leave only footprints' after a fun day at the beach, O'Keefe wrote. "It takes a collective movement to make a huge difference and every year on the third Saturday in September our community comes together for the annual International Coastal Cleanup and Halifax/Indian River Cleanup to do just that."
