Since 1988, the third Saturday in October has been a significant day when volunteers come together and remove tons of marine debris from our Mississippi coastlines and waterways for the Annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup event. This event is not only one of the largest volunteer-powered events in Mississippi, but also a part of the worldwide International Coastal Cleanup event hosted by Ocean Conservancy.
The data collected throughout this effort contributes to the Ocean Conservancy data pool and is used for education and outreach materials implemented throughout the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program (MSCCP). With supportive sponsors, such as Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, Chevron, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Thalassas, Waste Management and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the MSCCP is able to organize and host cleanup events and educational programs focused on marine debris year-round. The education, awareness, and supplies provided are the tools volunteers need to make educated decisions allowing them to be proactive in their community and become good stewards of the environment.
Due to the high success of last year’s nontraditional annual event, the 2021 Annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup event is taking place throughout the entire month of October. The MSCCP is providing participants that register with cleanup supply bins catered to the number of volunteers in a group. Volunteers will use these supplies to lead their very own cleanup contributing to the annual event. A bin of supplies includes trash bags, data cards with clipboards, disposable gloves, first-aid kits, hand sanitizer and optional buckets and trash grabbers.
Once volunteers have their bin of supplies, they can use the equipment to clean up once or multiple times at the same or different areas. There will not be designated cleanup sites but there is a map on the MSCCP website showing common cleanup areas. Volunteers can check out this short and sweet video about how to do a cleanup if they are unfamiliar with our events. Volunteers are required to record data on the types and amount of trash collected during their cleanup(s). This data is very important! Not only does the MSCCP use this data to inform the community about the impacts trash has in our environment, it also allows researchers to pinpoint what trash items need our focus for preventative measures.
Once volunteers have finished up their cleanup and disposed of their trash, supplies are returned to the MSCCP headquarters. Each group turns in their data cards, and each volunteer is then entered into a raffle for a chance to win a kayak, cooler, and various sustainable products.
The structure of this event provides volunteers the flexibility to choose when and where they clean up, expanding cleanup opportunities, and preventing groups from congregating in the same areas. Registration for this event will close on Wednesday, Oct. 27, and the last day for volunteers to pick up cleanup supplies will be Friday, Oct. 29.
For more information about the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program, please visit mscoastalcleanup.org. Stay tuned for the announcement of the locations and dates for the 2022 Monthly Cleanup. Feel free to reach out to me, the MSCCP Coordinator, at [email protected], if you have any inquiries.
Meet the author
Mandy Rigsby
Ecotourism and Stewardship Specialist
As part of our Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium Engagement Team, Mandy Rigsby works with nature-based tourism businesses to connect visitors to local nature and its wildlife. She also... Read more
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