Volunteers young and old teamed up to rid South Beach of trash.
More than 450 Volunteers in Nassau Remove 1,000 lbs of Trash
More than 450 volunteers from all walks of life turned out to participate in the 31st Anniversary of International Coastal Cleanup in New Providence. Local students and Bahamian civic and corporate organizations teamed up with visiting International groups including Carnival Cruise Line staff to make a difference at South Beach. To date, this global initiative has helped remove over 153 million pounds of marine litter from more than 312,000 miles of coastlines and waterways since it began 31 years ago.
International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest one-day volunteer event created to prevent and eliminate pollution of the marine environment. This year, volunteers in New Providence turned out to clean-up beaches and wetlands. The event, which began as a local program in Texas, has gradually expanded to include every major body of water in the world in over 91 countries, including The Bahamas.
“We are so pleased to have so many volunteers turn out to make a difference this year. Corporate and civic organizations, students and concerned neighbours all came out in force to help rid South Beach from 9,888 pieces of trash,” said Linzi Knowles-Belton, assistant director of education at Dolphin Encounters which is the National Coordinator of International Coastal Cleanup in The Bahamas.
“In New Providence, we cleaned South Beach and found everything from stoves, car parts, construction materials and so much more. Each volunteer worked diligently and together we made a huge impact. We also sent the message that we don’t want trash to destroy our environment. It took many people working as a unified team to make a real difference and we thank everyone who participated. We hope our efforts will be supported by all by putting trash in its place.”
Volunteers combed the beach, shrubs and mangroves of South Beach for two hours. The top ten debris items collected included glass pieces, glass and plastic beverage bottles, construction materials, picnic items (cups, plates, knives, spoons), food wrappers and containers, caps, lids, paper and plastic bags.
Volunteers tracked debris on data cards to be sent to the Ocean Conservancy which tracks global pollution.
For the first time this year, a crew from Carnival Cruise Lines joined local volunteers to make a difference at South Beach.
“Carnival was thrilled to be part of the International Coastal Cleanup event in Nassau, Bahamas, in partnership with Dolphin Encounters, which is an important community partner. Crews from many ships across our fleet, including Carnival Elation, participated in the cleanup around the globe in spots ranging from Valetta, Malta to the Cayman Islands, Aruba and Miami. As a cruise line, the oceans are our livelihood and we welcome opportunities to work with our local port communities to keep our coastlines clean for everyone to enjoy,” said Rabih Aboudargham, Director of Environmental Operations for Carnival Cruise Line.
Also participating in the clean up were volunteers from: Aastra Gardens; Alpha Nu Alpha; Anchor Club; BREEF; Bahamas Girls Guide Association; Delta Sigma Theta Sorotity; Ernst & Young; Governor Generals Youth Award; Interact Club; Junior Achievement; Kiwanis; Key Club; National Leadership Association; RBDF Rangers; Retract Club of Nassau Sunset; Rotary Nassau Sunrise; The Indaba Project and Young Marine Explorers - COB.
Students from many schools that participated in the GGYA program or their environmental clubs also took part including students from: Akhepran; A.F. Adderley; Aquinas; College Of The Bahamas; C.C. Sweeting; C. V. Bethel Senior; Doris Johnson; Gambier Primary; Government High School; Kingsway Academy; L W Young; New Providence Classical School; Queen’s College; R. M. Bailey; St. Anne’s; St. Andrew’s School; Temple Christian; The Learning Lab Homeschool and University of the West Indies.
After hours of cleaning up volunteers sorted their refuse by type and wrote down their findings on detailed data cards. The data cards will be submitted to the Ocean Conservancy to help them continue to track common types of litter and try to prevent these items from ending up on coasts in the future.
A coke and a smile. Members of Caribbean Bottling Company the producers of Coke in the Bahamas handed volunteers refreshments.
This year’s sponsors include: Coca-Cola, Caribbean Bottling Company; Aquapure; Bahamas Degradable Plastic Co; Bahamas Wholesale Agency; Bahamas National Trust; Bahamas Waste; Bahamas Experience Tours; D’Albenas Agency; Dan Knowles Tours; Dolphin Encounters Ltd.; Island Cellular; Leisure Tours; Majestic Tours; Mall at Marathon; Organization of American States; Ports International; Randy C. & DJ Energy; Renew Bahamas; T&K Trucking and Town Center Mall.
Coca-Cola is the global sponsor of ICC and the Caribbean Bottling Company, the producers of Coke in The Bahamas, sponsored the event in Nassau.
“Coca-Cola has supported ocean and waterways cleanup efforts for 20 years and we are pleased to see the program develop further,” said Walter Wells, President & CEO of Caribbean Bottling Company. “We have committed ourselves to improving the quality of life in the communities where we do business and the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup is a perfect fit for The Bahamas. This event drives home the important message of keeping our environment clean.”
“The International Coastal Cleanup engages people to remove trash and debris from the world’s beaches and waterways, to identify the sources of debris, and to change the behaviours that cause pollution,” added Robert Meister, Managing Director of Blue Lagoon Island.
“International Coastal Cleanup focuses on educating and empowering people to become a part of the marine debris solution. We thank each and every volunteer and sponsor that participated - you each made a valuable contribution to our environment. As a coastal community, keeping our ocean and waterways clean is vital to our environment and way of life. Together we can preserve our coasts and create a “sea of change.”
Dolphin Encounters – Project B.E.A.C.H. holds beach cleanups throughout the year - contact
Annette Dempsey at 363-7180 ext. 303 or email education@dolphinencounters.com for more information. Or visit www.dolphinencounters.com. To learn more about International Coastal Cleanup visit www.oceanconservancy.org.
Dolphin Encounters Project Beach thanks the sponsors of the 2016 International Coastal Cleanup. (Photos courtesy of Blue Lagoon Island)
Ten Top Items Found at South Beach at the 2016 ICC
1. Glass pieces - 1.258
2. Plastic pieces - 1,135
3. Beverage cans - 718
4. Foam pieces - 717
5. Beverage Bottles (glass) - 646
6. Other Plastic bags - 474
7. Beverage Bottles (plastic) - 437
8. Cups and plates (foam) - 408
9. Grocery bags (plastic) – 382
10. Bottle caps (plastic) - 326
Source: Dolphin Encounters Ltd.
