Nearly 400 volunteers spread out across Lee County on Saturday, September 19th, for Keep Lee County Beautiful’s annual International Coastal Cleanup, removing 4,000 pounds of trash and debris from local beaches, shorelines and waterways.
Volunteers participated at multiple cleanup locations throughout the county, bringing together residents, families, businesses, schools and community groups for a morning dedicated to protecting Southwest Florida’s coastal environment. From small pieces of litter to larger debris, every item collected helped prevent trash from entering local waterways and threatening wildlife.
Now in its 37th year in Lee County, the International Coastal Cleanup is part of Ocean Conservancy’s worldwide effort to remove litter from coastlines and waterways while gathering valuable information about the types of debris found.
“Seeing the volunteers show up across Lee County is a powerful reminder of how much our community cares about protecting the places we all enjoy,” said Trish Fancher, Executive Director of Keep Lee County Beautiful. “Removing 4,000 pounds of debris in just one morning shows what can be accomplished when people throughout our community get involved.”
The success of this countywide effort would not have been possible without the volunteers, site captains and hosts, community partners and sponsors who dedicated their time and resources to making the cleanup possible.
KLCB organizes cleanup and beautification opportunities throughout the year. To learn more about upcoming events and ways to get involved, visit www.klcb.org.