In a monumental display of environmental stewardship, residents of Indian River County recently united to protect their treasured shorelines. Spearheaded globally by the Ocean Conservancy and hosted locally by Coastal Connections, the annual International Coastal Cleanup yielded unprecedented results.
Kendra Cope Bergman, founder and executive director of Coastal Connections, reported that a record-breaking 1,324 volunteers participated across 26 different cleanup sites throughout the county to meticulously hunt for harmful litter and debris.
Participating in the largest global movement to clean up our waterways, parks and recreation areas was the most incredible day we have ever experienced within this community.
The initiative’s primary focus is to safeguard the region’s diverse wildlife, particularly its highly vulnerable sea turtle populations. With nearly 11,000 sea turtle nests documented in the area ahead of the October 31 nesting deadline, maintaining pristine natural habitats is critical. The removal of marine debris directly combats a leading cause of mortality for these marine reptiles. Bergman highlighted the alarming reality that post-hatchlings—often referred to as washbacks—are frequently washing back to shore with ingested plastics, reinforcing the urgent need to properly dispose of environmental hazards before they enter the ecosystem.
Following a rigorous morning in the field, participants gathered at Walking Tree Brewery to celebrate their achievements, analyze the collected debris, and engage in some friendly competition. The sheer volume of waste removed from local habitats was staggering:
- Total Weight: 4,863 pounds of trash
- Total Items: 41,502 individual pieces of debris
- Hard Plastics: 9,172 items, including a concerning 5,850 microplastics known to pose severe ingestion hazards to wildlife
- Plastic Film: 5,343 pieces
- Cigarette Butts: 3,807 discarded butts, representing an increase of 1,000 over the previous year
- Bottle Caps & Foam: 2,524 plastic caps and 2,187 pieces of foam
To make the hard work even more engaging, Coastal Connections distributed several awards to standout volunteer groups. The Purple Prophylactic Propagules captured both the Turtley Terrific title and the Trashiest Location distinction for their phenomenal efforts at the 69th Street Boat Ramp, hauling in an average of 55.88 pounds of trash per person.
The Green Team Spirit award was bestowed upon the Willow School, where 80 enthusiastic volunteers scoured Humiston Beach Park. Meanwhile, the quirky Trashy Treasure Trophy went to the South Beach crew after they uncovered a highly unusual piece of shoreline debris: a fully intact baked potato wrapped in aluminum foil.
While the International Coastal Cleanup is an annual highlight, local ecological stewardship remains a year-round commitment for the Treasure Coast. Coastal Connections offers numerous ongoing opportunities for Indian River County residents to get involved, including the Sunrise at Sexton cleanups held at 7:30 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. Additionally, the organization is looking forward to its annual Shell’ebration Brunch, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on February 13 at the prestigious Quail Valley River Club.
