Volunteers participate in worldwide coastal cleanup round Jacksonville, seashores – WJXT News4JAX

NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. – Volunteers hit seashores and parks throughout Northeast Florida as a part of a world coastal cleanup Saturday morning.

There have been at the very least 30 totally different areas the place folks might take part.

Dozens of volunteers in Neptune Seashore picked up particles on the seashore or something that may have washed up on the coast, whereas volunteers at Castaway Island Protect cleaned up litter and trash as a part of the trouble led by the Timucuan Parks Basis.

Town of Jacksonville’s “Hold Jacksonville Lovely Fee” and the Nationwide Park Service additionally partnered for the cleanup.

In response to the muse, volunteers collected greater than 9,800 kilos of particles final yr in Northeast Florida.

Danielle Ouellette, a Fletcher Excessive Faculty trainer who led the cost in Neptune Seashore, mentioned a number of the frequent issues volunteers discovered alongside the oceanfront have been cigarette butts, wrappers from sweet or juice containers, and even deserted footwear.

She mentioned days like Saturday are essential for the surroundings’s well-being.

“They’ll destroy not solely the ecosystem itself — you’ll have actually nasty seashores — but in addition the organisms that dwell proper off of the coast. We’re speaking about all of our little reef ecosystems right here alongside the barrier island,” Ouellette mentioned. “We do have a number of smaller reefs that exist. There are additionally quite a lot of small organisms which are depending on ensuring all the things is clear and ensuring there aren’t any pollution. They eat these and sadly that may kill them.”