International Coastal Cleanup 2020 Opportunities

The Annual Coastal Cleanup is a great way to get out to the beach AND help the beach at the same time! See details below for a couple of ways to participate this year.

Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles, in partnership with Visit South Walton, will once again host the International Coastal Cleanup in its new form for 2020.  As many things have changed in the era of Covid-19, so has the approach to the local coastal cleanup. With that in mind, the Volunteer Beach Ambassador Team invites all community members and visitors to the Emerald Coast to join efforts to clean up the beaches of South Walton on Saturday morning, September 26th, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. 

For the safety of all who would like to participate in this community centered event, clean ups will be hosted at all Regional Beach Accesses so that you may work independently or in small family/friend groups, maintaining a 6 foot social distance from others; effectively spreading out over all 26 miles of Walton County beaches. 

All participants are encouraged to provide their own trash bags or buckets, gloves, hat, sunscreen, water bottle, etc.  There will be limited bags/gloves available for those without.  In addition, it is recommended you wearing a facemask for your personal safety and the safety of others.

If you would like to join in a clean up at a Regional Access, you will find Host Volunteer Beach Ambassadors at the following locations:

Inlet Beach Regional Access,  139 S Orange St., Inlet
Santa Clara Regional Access,  3468E Co Hwy 30A, Seagrove
Van Ness Butler Regional Access,  1931 E Co Hwy 30A, Seaside
Grayton Beach Neighborhood Access,  288 Garfield St., Grayton Beach
Blue Mountain Beach Regional Access,  2365 S Co Hwy 83, Blue Mountain Beach
Gulf View Heights Regional Access,  186 Gulfview Heights St., Santa Rosa Beach
Ed Walline Regional Access,  4447 W Co Hwy 30A, Gulf Place
Fort Panic Regional Access,  5753 W Co Hwy 30A, Dune Allen
Dune Allen Regional Access,  5999 W Co Hwy 30A, Dune Allen
Miramar Beach Regional Access,  2375 Scenic Gulf Dr., Miramar Beach

You can also join the DIY cleanup with help from the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA).

CBA is teaming with Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup to ensure swimmable, fishable, trash-free waters in our beautiful estuary. Choctawhatchee Bay is the center of our community whose economy depends on her beautiful waters and abundant marine life. Whether you're a fisherman, birder, paddleboarder, or restaurant owner, you understand the importance of our watershed. We’re empowering volunteers to hit sites in their community where trash is overlooked or misplaced. We welcome everyone in the Panhandle region to participate, as this will be a “Do-it-yourself” cleanup between September 20th – October 31st. Register with CBA for your own International Coastal Cleanup. How will you #CleanOn in 2020?

OCEAN CONSERVANCY
International Coastal Cleanup is a World Wide Event sponsored by Ocean Conservancy. Every year during Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup®, hundreds of thousands of volunteers comb lakes, rivers and beaches around the world for trash.Join the wave. Next time you’re headed out to the beach or a nearby park, download Ocean Conservancy’s app, Clean Swell and take along a trash bag to collect and document the debris you find. More info: Ocean Conservancy