via Clean Ocean Access
Clean Ocean Access (COA) hosted a beach cleanup this past Saturday at Taylors Lane in Little Compton. There were over 55 committed volunteers who came together to remove 296 pounds of trash from the area. People of all ages were out and about on this beautiful, sunny 70 degree Saturday, shocked by the amount of lobster pots and fishing gear found within a mile and a half of brush at Taylors Lane. Many of our volunteers went back to fill their bags for a second and third time with debris such as bottles, paint cans, plywood, and fishing rope.
Volunteer, Megan Campbell, believes that participating in COA beach cleanups has made her much more aware of marine debris that is found within our communities and coastlines. She says, “I love everything that COA does and provides for the community, I try to get myself as involved as possible.” Another volunteer, Kyrsten Funk, who has been a regular at these cleanups states: “I have been coming to these cleanups for years and have a love for the environment, I plan on attending all if I can!” It is always exciting to see various members of the community show up and make a difference. COA was excited to have a group from one of their sponsors, People’s Credit Union, as well as several Salve Regina University students join them this past Saturday to clean the beach.
COA continues to enforce RIDOH guidelines for all events to ensure the health and safety of our community. Through the RIDOH Crush COVID Initiative, COA is able to provide all volunteers personal protective equipment, such as face masks and hand sanitizer, and tips to safely and sustainably prevent the spread of the virus.
Thank you to all the volunteers that helped to make Saturday’s cleanup so successful and safe. The next beach cleanup is on November 14th at Cory’s Lane in Portsmouth, Rhode Island! Pre-registration is required to participate, please visit https://www.cleanoceanaccess.org/10999-2/ to sign up!