This past Saturday Clean Ocean Access celebrated International Coastal Cleanup day by hosting their first core cleanup of the season at Easton’s Beach!
According to Clean Ocean Access, they had an amazing group of 104 volunteers come out for this event, and within two hours they helped to remove 169 pounds of debris from the beach and surrounding areas.
As part of International Coastal Cleanup Day, Clean Ocean Access also had a partner group host a cleanup at Pebble Beach and Taggart’s Ferry Road, led by volunteer Jeff Moore, where 5 volunteers removed 74 pounds of debris from both areas.
In order to comply with the RI Department of Health (RIDOH) guidelines for public events and ensure the health and safety of the community, volunteers had to follow a three-step sign in procedure before participating in the cleanup, according to Clean Ocean Access. Each volunteer completed a COVID symptom tracker form and was given a reusable mask as part of the RIDOH 2020 Crush COVID initiative. Only one person or household unit was allowed at a table at a time, masks were required at all times, and all participants maintained 6 ft distance from others while in line and cleaning the beach. These new procedures made the sign-in process longer than usual, but Clean Ocean Access says it was necessary to ensure volunteer safety!
One volunteer from Saturday’s cleanup, Tzu-Yu Lio, shared, “this experience was a 10/10, I come to cleanups often, and I love being able to clean up the beaches here.” Another volunteer, Donatella Carazo, said that, “after you complete this, you notice all the little things of trash like cigarettes that you never knew were there before.” Various groups joined the efforts including Salve Regina University students, Cub Scout Pack 33 and the Middletown Rotary Club!
Working in partnership with the RIDOH on the Crush COVID Initiative, Clean Ocean Access was able to provide personal protective equipment such as face masks and hand sanitizer to all volunteers. This innovative program was designed by the RIDOH to mitigate the spread of the COVID virus by working together with community groups like Clean Ocean Access and leveraging their reach to the public. Visit the Crushing COVID Outside Together! information table at the next cleanup and help Rhode Island crush COVID!
“Thank you to all the volunteers that helped to make Saturday’s cleanup so successful and safe,” Clean Ocean Access writes in a press release. “The next Clean Ocean Access beach cleanup is this Saturday 9/26 at Pheasant Drive Beach in Portsmouth”. Pre-registration is required, use this link to sign up: https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/e/Vig5eyMKpe8iaKGbKEeBUA/