International Coastal Cleanup Days

Arriving at Everglades National Park (ENP) in September 2010 as the new Volunteer Coordinator, I had the great opportunity to volunteer for International Coastal Cleanup Day. The acting Volunteer Coordinator, Cerisa Swanberg, introduced me to coordinating and supervising my first volunteer group activity. We were scheduled to collect trash in the Ten Thousand Islands in the Gulf Coast District in ENP.

We met up with a professor of Oceanography from Miami Dade College, his students, plus two Law Enforcement Rangers; one officer’s parents accompanied us while the other’s fiancé joined in. With two boats, trash bags, and energy, we went to Indian Key. Some of us waded along the shores removing hundreds of feet of rope, while other volunteers walked among the mangrove roots collecting bottles, crab trap floats, and additional debris.

Even though I lost my sunglasses, which should be collected in a future beach cleanup event, this was a fantastic experience and insightful to the wonderful Volunteers-in-Parks program at ENP. Join us next time and experience it for yourself!

There will be two separate events with limited spacing:

1. Friday, September 20: Meet at Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center at 8:00am, and then drive to Flamingo District. Volunteers will be transported to North Nest Key to collect trash on the beaches and in the mangroves around the key. Only five (5) spaces available.

2. Saturday, September 21: Meet at Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center at 8:00am, and then drive to Flamingo District. Volunteers will be transported to Cape Sable to collect trash on the beaches. Only five (5) spaces available.

To reserve a seat, contact Kevin Bowles Mohr at 305-242-7752, kevin_bowles_mohr@nps.gov