Stuart Exposure: Keep Martin Beautiful encourages residents to join the International Coastal Cleanup locally
As summer comes to a close, Keep Martin Beautiful prepares for one of its most important and impactful events. Each year, thousands of Martin County residents gather to participate in the International Coastal Cleanup, a global event that continues to increase in popularity. Last year, more than a million volunteers from over 100 countries joined the effort for clean waterways and shorelines. Keep Martin Beautiful, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and local coordinator, will host cleanup activities in Martin County on Saturday, September 21 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Last year, nearly 1,500 volunteers removed more than 25,000 pieces of litter from over 30 parks, beaches, and waterways, marking yet another outstanding cleanup event. Even so, Keep Martin Beautiful knows this work is never finished.
While efforts to provide volunteer resources to all of Martin County’s waterways have been effective, less frequented parks and beaches still don’t receive the proper care. Meanwhile, some of the more popular locations become congested with volunteers when it comes time to clean. To help make a more meaningful impact, this year’s online registration focuses on a broader volunteer distribution throughout the county.
“This year’s International Coastal Cleanup is shaping up to be the best one yet. To determine which beaches, parks, and waterways are in the greatest need for waste removal, we conducted a litter survey at every location included in our online registration form. We then calculated how many volunteers would be necessary to more efficiently clean each area,” explained Keep Martin Beautiful International Coastal Cleanup outreach coordinator and intern Nick Ranieri. “Our goal is to provide volunteers with useful information to take initiative and help clean the areas in Martin County that need it the most.”
To enhance efforts and minimize waste, volunteers are encouraged to use the Clean Swell™ app for litter recording purposes. With this app, volunteers have an effective, fast, and user-friendly way to track litter and instantly send it to the world’s largest marine database. Not only does this make data collection and calculation that much easier for coordinators, but the information collected is also used by professionals with Ocean Conservancy to analyze coastal litter.
“To the volunteers who continue to participate in our cleanup events and who are so dedicated to our community, we are thankful for all that you do. You are the backbone of our organization,” stated Keep Martin Beautiful president Craig Ahal. “At the end of the day, we love to see our Martin County residents working hard towards a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful Martin County.”
If you’re looking for a way to showcase your commitment to protecting the environment in Martin County, a Keep Martin Beautiful Sponsorship is the perfect opportunity for you. Sponsors are recognized in press releases, social media and other promotional efforts, company logos are included on volunteer t-shirts, company representatives are invited to the sponsor photo shoot, and gain significant community exposure. If you are interested in a sponsorship call 772-781-1222, email info@keepmartinbeautiful.org, or click hereto go directly to our website.
