International Coastal Cleanup is Saturday - EastBayRI.com

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EAST BAY — Thousands of Rhode Island residents head to the beach each September. But, this time, they aren't going for a picnic or a swim. Instead, they bring work gloves and trash bags. They come as groups, families or as individuals. They pick thousands of cigarette butts out of the sand, remove used and tangled fishing line, and clean up bottles, plastic bags, tires and trash from the shores.

It's the annual International Coastal Cleanup, happening this year on Saturday, Sept. 17, at coastal locations across the state. The Audubon Society of Rhode Island invites volunteers to head to the shore and participate in the annual event.

Organized internationally by the Ocean Conservancy, and locally by Audubon, volunteers not only clean up the trash that litters the shore, but also document what they find, tallying each piece of trash picked up. This data is published in an annual report that draws attention to marine debris and provides background for policy decisions that address the problem at its source.

"The more volunteers we have, the more we can accomplish, so we encourage people to sign up," said July Lewis, Audubon's volunteer coordinator. "We are also looking for tips on sites that have a lot of trash and need attention. Usually, these are small coastal access sites. If you know of one, let us know. If you cannot lead a cleanup yourself, we may be able to find another group to do it. In our last cleanup, over 2,000 volunteers removed more than 25,000 pounds of trash from the Rhode Island shore — we can make a difference!"

Contact Ms. Lewis at 949-5454, ext. 3044, or jlewis@asri.org to find a beach cleanup near you, or search the International Coastal Cleanup global map at www.oceanconservancy.org.

The 2011 cleanup in Rhode Island is sponsored by Amgen, The Ocean Conservancy, and Washington Trust. The Audubon Society of Rhode Island has led the cleanup for Rhode Island since 1985.

Local cleanups

Check with the contacts for each cleanup for details. Bring a pair of gloves.

• Barrington — Barrington Town Beach, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Sign up with Bill and Deb Dwyer at 401/245-2684 or wtd@cox.net. Register early to get a T-shirt.

• Bristol — Colt State Park, from 9 a.m. to noon. Sign up at www.rei.com/event/28252/session/34843.

• Bristol — Waypoyset at the Narrows, from 9 a.m. to noon. Contact Steve and Philip Johnson at 401/254-1963 or steve@sejet.net.

• East Providence — Sabin Point, from 9 a.m. to noon. Contact Michaela Hurley at 401/289-2112 or laneandjen1@cox.net.

• Little Compton — The Sogkonate Garden Club will meet at 9 a.m. at South Shore Beach. They will supply gloves, bags and refreshments. All beaches in Little Compton need attention. Contact Sandra Farr at 401/635-8640 or jsfarr@cox.net for more details, or just come on Sept. 17.

• Little Compton — Goosewing Beach Preserve, end of South Shore Beach, from 9 a.m. to noon. Call 401/331-7110 or e-mail kpisano@tnc.org to register.

• Portsmouth — Common Fence Point, from 9 a.m. to noon. Contact Mil Kinsella at 401/633-2606 or sterlingmil@cox.net.

• Portsmouth — Pheasant Beach, from 9 a.m. to noon. Contact Bob Gessler at 401/683-3860 or judybob.gessler@verizon.net.

• Tiverton — Meet at 9 a.m. at Grinnell's Beach to pick up T-shirts, gloves, litter bags, and litter survey forms. Students who volunteer can use their service toward graduation requirements in community service. Contact Tiverton Garden Club member Alita Marks at 401/624-6031 for more information. Refreshments provided.