DNREC seeking volunteers for Delaware Coastal Cleanup

Volunteer registration to close Sept. 5

DOVER (Aug. 27, 2018) – Volunteers are still needed and welcomed to join the 31st annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup, to be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 15. Sponsored by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the cleanup spans 49 sites in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties, including river and ocean shorelines as well as wetland and watershed areas. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to preregister at https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/coastal-cleanup/ to ensure enough supplies are readied for each Cleanup site. Preregistration will close Wednesday, Sept. 5.

“The Delaware Coastal Cleanup is DNREC’s largest volunteer event of the year, and we are looking for more volunteers at some of our sites,” DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin said. “Our volunteers are what make this annual statewide cleanup possible – and with their help, we are making a difference. Not only are we cleaning up trash from our beaches, waterways, and watershed areas, we are encouraging people to visit our parks and natural areas.”

Cleanup sites that still need additional volunteers include:

  • New Castle County:
    • Fox Point State Park
    • Woodland Beach – McKay Tract
    • Woodland Beach – Taylors Gut
  • Kent County
    • Big Stone Beach
    • Bennetts Pier
  • Sussex County
    • Slaughter Beach
    • Oyster Rocks Road
    • Beach Plum Island
    • Lewes Boat Ramp
    • Cape Shores
    • Boat Hole/Love Creek
    • DeauvilleDewey/Indian Beach
    • South Bethany Beach
    • Nanticoke Wildlife Area – Phillips Landing
    • Delaware Seashore State Park – 3Rs
    • Delaware Seashore State Park – Keybox Road
    • Holts Landing State Park
    • Fenwick Island Town Beach
    • Fenwick Island State Park

Delaware’s Cleanup is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest annual clearing of trash from coastlines, rivers, streams, and lakes by volunteers. Information collected helps identify the source of the debris and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it. For more information, visit www.oceanconservancy.org.

For more information about the Delaware Coastal Cleanup, please contact Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator, at 302-739-9902, or joanna.wilson@delaware.gov.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 48, No. 232


Online registration now open to volunteers for 31st annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup

DOVER – Online volunteer registration is now open for the 31st annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup, to be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 15. Sponsored by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the cleanup spans the First State’s 97-mile eastern coastline and includes river and ocean shorelines as well as wetland and watershed areas. This year, more than 45 sites in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties are targeted for cleanup by volunteers.

Individual volunteers and groups are strongly encouraged to preregister on DNREC’s website at de.gov/coastalcleanup to ensure enough supplies are readied for each site. Preregistration will close Wednesday, Sept. 5.

Groups of 10 volunteers or more also are asked to contact Delaware Coastal Cleanup Coordinator Joanna Wilson, at 302-739-9902 or joanna.wilson@delaware.gov, or the appropriate zone captain listed on the website for advance site placement.

At last year’s Coastal Cleanup, 1,567 dedicated volunteers from civic organizations, youth groups, businesses and families collected 3.8 tons of trash from 47 sites along Delaware’s shorelines and tributaries. About one-quarter of that trash – mostly aluminum cans and plastic bottles – was recycled. Cleanup volunteers’ more unusual finds included a wallet, wrist watch, cell phone, parmesan cheese shaker, a large heavy rug, a statue of the Virgin Mary, golf tee, ant trap, Big Wheel tire, garden hose, vacuum cleaner, trailer registration tag, toy bulldozer, green army men, half a driver’s license and credit card, handle bars, snow hat, mermaid doll, Mardi Gras beads, confetti, glowsticks, oil cans, multiple gas tanks and televisions, and, at one site, 205 liquor bottles.

Delaware’s Cleanup is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest annual clearing of trash from coastlines, rivers, streams, and lakes by volunteers. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world help each year to rid the environment of marine debris and collect detailed information on the types and quantities of refuse they find. Information is recorded on data cards and sent to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles data for all cleanups to help identify debris sources and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing marine debris. For more information, visit www.oceanconservancy.org.

For more information about the Delaware Coastal Cleanup, please contact Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator, at 302-739-9902, or joanna.wilson@delaware.gov.


2017 DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Cleanup drew 1,500-plus volunteers who collected 3.8 tons of trash

DOVER – This year’s DNREC-sponsored 30th annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup held Sept. 16 drew 1,567 volunteers, who collected 3.8 tons of trash from 47 sites along more than 75 miles of Delaware’s waterways and coastline stretching from Wilmington to Fenwick Island. About one-quarter of that trash was recyclables – mostly aluminum cans and glass and plastic beverage bottles.

DNREC organizes the annual cleanup with co-sponsors including: the Ocean Conservancy; Edgewell Personal Care/Playtex Manufacturing Inc., which donates gloves; and Waste Management, which hauls trash and recyclables collected by volunteers.

“In addition to marring the natural beauty of our beaches and waterways, trash is dangerous to marine life and unhealthy for water quality,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Each year, the Coastal Cleanup helps make a difference for marine life and water quality – and it’s the hundreds of dedicated volunteers, many of whom come back year after year, who make the Cleanup an annual environmental success story.”

Some of the more unusual items found during this year’s cleanup were: a wallet, wrist watch, cell phone, parmesan cheese shaker, a large heavy rug, a statue of the Virgin Mary, golf tee, ant trap, Big Wheel tire, cooler, garden hose, vacuum cleaner, trailer registration tag, toy bulldozer, green army men, half a driver’s license and credit card, handle bars, snow hat, mermaid doll, Mardi Gras beads, confetti, glowsticks, oil cans, multiple gas tanks and televisions, and, at one site, 205 liquor bottles.

Some items were notable in their numbers. Statewide, volunteers picked up 16,158 cigarette butts, up from last year’s total of 13,577. Balloons increased from 654 to 933 this year. Other items included 397 fireworks, 289 spent shotgun shells and 2,671 plastic bags.

This year, more than 22,126 pieces of food/beverage-related trash were picked up. This year’s notable numbers included 4,580 food wrappers, 4,636 plastic bottle caps, 993 lids, 1,898 straws, 2,815 plastic beverage bottles, 1,958 beverage cans, 1,004 glass bottles and 4,242 paper, plastic and foam cups, plates and take-out containers.

Delaware’s next Coastal Cleanup is set for Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. Registration will be posted on DNREC’s website at http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Admin/Pages/Delaware-Coastal-Cleanup.aspxnext July, with groups of 10 or encouraged to pre-register beginning May 1 by calling 302-739-9902 or emailing Delaware Coastal Cleanup Coordinator Joanna Wilson at Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov.

Delaware’s Coastal Cleanup is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. The types and quantities of trash collected are recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles the information to help identify debris sources and focus efforts on elimination or reduction. For more information, please visit www.oceanconservancy.org.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, at 302-739-9902.

Vol. 47, No. 242

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With Sept. 1 pre-registration deadline looming for DNREC’s 30th annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup, more volunteers are sought for a number of sites

DOVER – Volunteers are still needed and welcomed to join the 30th annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup, to be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 16. Sponsored by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the cleanup spans more than 45 sites in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties, including river and ocean shorelines as well as wetland and watershed areas. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to preregister at DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Cleanup webpage to ensure enough supplies are readied for each site.

Preregistration will close Friday, Sept. 1. Sites that still need additional volunteers are listed below and also can be found on the DNREC website:

New Castle County
• Fox Point State Park
• Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area/Collins Beach Boat Ramp
Kent County
• Little Creek Wildlife Area/Port Mahon Road
• North Bowers Beach
• South Bowers Beach
• Big Stone Beach
Sussex County
• Slaughter Beach
• Oyster Rocks Road
• Broadkill Beach
• Beach Plum Island
• Lewes Boat Ramp
• Lewes Beach
• Cape Shores
• Boat Hole/Love Creek
• Deauville
• Dewey/Indian Beach
• South Bethany Beach
• Nanticoke Wildlife Area – Phillips Landing
• Delaware Seashore State Park – North Indian River Inlet
• Delaware Seashore State Park – South Indian River Inlet
• Delaware Seashore State Park – Keybox Road
• Fenwick Island

Delaware’s Cleanup is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest annual clearing of trash from coastlines, rivers, streams, and lakes by volunteers. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world help each year to rid the environment of marine debris and collect detailed information on the types and quantities of refuse they find. This information is recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles data for all cleanups around the world. This information helps identify the source of the debris and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it. For more information about the Ocean Conservancy and the International Coastal Cleanup, visit www.oceanconservancy.org.

For more information about the Delaware Coastal Cleanup, please email Joanna Wilson, event coordinator, or call 302-739-9902.


DNREC celebrates 30th anniversary of Delaware Coastal Cleanup at Slaughter Beach event

Volunteers encouraged to sign up now for Sept. 16 statewide cleanup

DOVER – Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn M. Garvin joined Delaware Coastal Cleanup site captains, Cleanup volunteers, and supporters today for the event’s 30th anniversary celebration hosted by the Bayshore community of Slaughter Beach. The 2017 Coastal Cleanup will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 45 sites statewide, with volunteer registration now open at Delaware Coastal Cleanup webpage.

“Over the past 30 years, through public awareness programs like the Delaware Coastal Cleanup, we have made great progress in reducing the amount of trash on our beaches, waterways, and in our waterways and wetlands,” said Secretary Garvin. “However, our work is not done. Coastal Cleanup shows us how much trash is still negatively impacting our beaches. Everyone can do their part by using trash cans and recycle bins to keep our natural resources clean.”

Some facts about the Delaware Coastal Cleanup:

  • Last year, nearly 1,600 volunteers collected 12,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from 45 sites along more than 75 miles of Delaware’s coastline, waterways, wetlands, and watershed areas from Wilmington to Fenwick Island.
  • Delaware’s first Coastal Cleanup – originally known as “Get the Drift and Bag It” – was organized by DNREC and held in October 1987.
  • According to 30 years of statistics from DNREC and Ocean Conservancy records, nearly 52,000 volunteers have collected more than 600,000 pounds of trash.
  • Among the more unusual finds over the years: a wedding dress, lawn mower, vampire teeth, an iron blast furnace, bowling ball, ice skates, an exercise bike, a bathtub, power drill, wigs, appliances including a refrigerator, stove, VCRs, TVs and microwaves, and car parts including bumpers, engines, and thousands of tires.
  • Finds notable for their numbers: cigarette butts, plastic bags, and food-related trash – including beverage containers, wrappers, straws, and bottle caps – are among the most common items found.
  • Good news: Statistics over the years show both an overall downward trend in the amount of trash collected, as well as declines in specific items that taint Delaware’s waterways.

DNREC’s largest one-day volunteer event of the year spans the First State’s eastern coastline and includes Delaware River and Bay and Atlantic Ocean shorelines as well as wetland and watershed areas. Preregistration is strongly encouraged to ensure enough supplies are packed for each site. Preregistration will close Friday, Sept. 1. For more information about the Delaware Coastal Cleanup, please call Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator, at 302-739-9902, or email Joanna.wilson@delaware.gov.

The Delaware Coastal Cleanup is sponsored by DNREC, which organizes the event, recruits volunteers, distributes supplies, ensures trash removal and tabulates all data collected. Co-sponsors are Edgewell Personal Care/Playtex Manufacturing, which provides gloves, and Waste Management, which hauls trash and recyclables. The Ocean Conservancy supplies trash bags, data cards, and brochures on marine debris. Additional sponsors this year are Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Redners Markets.

Delaware’s Cleanup is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest annual clearing of trash from coastlines and lakes by volunteers. People all over the world help rid the environment of marine debris and collect detailed information on the types and quantities of refuse they find. This information is recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles data for all of the cleanups to help identify debris sources and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it. For more information, visit www.oceanconservancy.org.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 47, No. 182

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