This weekend, thousands of Virgin Islands residents are expected to head to the beaches armed with garbage bags and gloves…to clean, of course.
V.I. Coastweeks is happening at the same time as the Ocean Conservancy’s 22nd annual International Coastal Cleanup day. In its 12th year, V.I. Coastweeks will continue on until October 6th.
During the last two years, the event has seen local participation shoot up from 674 volunteers in 2005 to 1083 in 2006. Organizers are expecting an even larger turnout this week.
From my previous experiences cleaning up shorelines in the Bay Area, it’s mind-blowing to witness the amount of trash that settles in an area inhabited by wildlife. Needles, plastic containers and wrappers are actually quite harmful to birds and sea creatures. Only last year, the Ocean Conservancy estimates that over a million seabirds and 500,000 marine life died from consuming random debris.
The volunteer effort isn’t just a beatification project. The vitality of the Virgin Islands’ precious wildlife is at stake and it is our duty to clean up the mess we made.
