***The Alabama Coastal Cleanup has been rescheduled to Sept. 26***
For additional updates, visit www.AlabamaCoastalCleanup.com or www.facebook.com/AlabamaCoastalCleanup.
Mobile, Alabama – Are you looking for an opportunity to get outside with friends and family and do something that benefits your community? If so, you are encouraged to help “get the trash out of the splash” during the 33rd Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup. The event will take place in Baldwin and Mobile counties on September 26, 2020.
Due to potential COVID-19 concerns, this year’s cleanup will take place over multiple days to allow volunteers to properly practice social distancing and work in small groups.
“Volunteers are the backbone of this event,” said Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). “Over the years, they have served as good stewards of our coastal waters and shorelines. Without them, Alabama’s Coastal Cleanup would not be possible.”
Volunteers are needed on land and on the water at cleanup sites in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Participants will receive a t-shirt and basic cleanup supplies. Organizers are recommending participants use The Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell mobile app to tally their debris data. The app is available in the Apple and Android app stores.
“There is really no better way to help the Gulf and our local communities than by cleaning up our shorelines,” said Angela Underwood with the ADCNR State Lands Division’s Coastal Section. “Our goal is to keep everyone healthy. Because of social distancing recommendations we are encouraging volunteers to pick a specific location in one of the coastal zones to conduct their part of the cleanup.”
This year, ADCNR’s State Lands Coastal Section has also partnered with Alabama People Against a Littered State (ALPALS) to organize one of the largest volunteer events in the state.
“We are looking forward to a large, coast-wide event,” said Spencer Ryan, ALPALS Executive Director. “We know people want to get out and do something positive during the pandemic.”
The Alabama Coastal Cleanup is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, an effort to remove marine debris from coastal waters around the world. Alabama joined this effort in 1987. Since then, volunteers have removed tons of debris from Alabama’s coastal waters.
For more information about the coastal zones, zone captains, start times, safety tips and a list of event sponsors, visit www.AlabamaCoastalCleanup.com or call (251) 928-9792.
You can also follow the Alabama Coastal Cleanup on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AlabamaCoastalCleanup.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.
###
