PONCE INLET, Fla. — Dozens of people in Volusia County gathered at Winterhaven Park in Ponce Inlet to pick up trash following 4th of July festivities.
Dozens of people showed up bright and early as part of the ongoing Keep Volusia Beautiful initiative, an effort to bring people together and care for local shorelines. The goal is to promote litter awareness and encourage recycling.
Every year, the county puts together this cleanup following any major holiday and visitor activity.
“We have hundreds of miles of beaches and a lot of tourists," Volusia County Management Specialist and Recycle Education Coordinator Michael Nahirny said. "Sometimes they come into town and leave a bit of a mess behind. It's up to us to clean it up and keep the community looking clean, because we are living here year round."
Volunteers were advised to look for fireworks, plastic and cigarettes. On an average cleanup, they collect about 30 to 40 pounds of garbage, after holidays, they collect about 50 to 60 pounds.
“It takes a lot of work to clean it up because if we don't do it, it will just keep piling up," Nahirny said.
The county provided buckets, grabbers, gloves and other cleaning supplies. All volunteers had to do is show up.
"We have people walking on the beach and they can get stuck with something. Or plastic can potentially go into the ocean that will kill fish and turtles and wildlife," volunteer Lori Palladino said.
At the end of September, Volusia County will take part in a nationwide coastal cleanup to clean up beaches across the country. It will be happening across two dozen parks and beaches throughout the county.