By Karisa Arterbury | Director of Operations
I am excited to share that Ocean Blue Cleanup Crew Leaders have been showing up for our waterways, beaches, and one world ocean this year. Earth Day was an especially exciting event, with 14 successful cleanups during April, all led by high school and university students as well as businesses and youth organizations from all around the United States!
While volunteer and event numbers are lower this year compared to the same time during pre-pandemic years, we are hopeful for increased stewardship in 2022. Prior to Earth Month, there were four cleanup Crew Leader-led events, and during the month of May there have been four more successful cleanups from Florida and Massachusetts all the way to California.
So far in 2022, a total of 22 Cleanup Crew Leaders have led 466 volunteers in cleanups in Oregon, California, Florida, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. And while the bulk of the debris Ocean Blue Project recovers from beaches is removed by staff in Oregon and Hawaii, our Create a Cleanup volunteers have still managed to collect 1,049 pounds of plastic and debris from beaches and ocean bound waterways so far this year.
One of the most inspiring events for our team was recently led by The Rashi School 6th grade students as part of a year long educational and stewardship project. Students hit the beach this month for a Wollaston Beach Cleanup in Quincy, Massachusetts and managed to cleanup over 80 pounds of debris including an old tire and wooden sign post. Nice work, Rashi students!
We still have a long way to go to reach our goal of 200 cleanups this year. With Ocean Blue's 10th Anniversary happening on World Ocean Day this June 8th and National Cleanup Month happening in September, in addition to your support, our team is confident that we will be able to reach this goal to double the number of our pre-pandemic cleanup events. Here's to engaging 5,000 ocean cleanup stewards at 200 cleanups in 2022! We couldn't do it without your support. Thank you so much for making this ocean cleanup effort happen!
Warm regards,
Karisa Arterbury
Director of Operations
www.oceanblueproject.org
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