11-94-CWS | September 21, 2011
Volunteers in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties are needed for the 23rd annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup to be held from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup—the world’s largest volunteer cleanup effort on behalf of the marine environment. Gov. Haley Barbour recently signed a proclamation in support of the annual event organized by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Mississippi Marine Debris Task Force.
“Keeping our coastline clean and litter free is essential to protecting our marine wildlife and coastal wetlands,” Governor Haley Barbour said. “The Mississippi Sound plays a vital role in our state’s economy, especially through tourism. I know the 23rd annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup will be a great success.”
In addition, the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup will continue its partnership with Mississippi Power’s Renew Our Rivers program. The four-day Renew Our Rivers cleanup event will begin Wednesday, Oct. 12, and will culminate in conjunction with the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, Oct. 15.
Registration deadline for the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup is Oct. 3. Register online at www.mscoastalcleanup.org, or to obtain a registration form and sign up to volunteer call: 467-9048 in Hancock County; 214-1405 in Harrison County; 938-6612 in Jackson County; and 875-9057 for the Barrier Islands.
On cleanup day, zone captains will be stationed at each cleanup site in bright yellow T-shirts to direct volunteers and give them supplies such as trash bags, data cards to record the debris collected, as well as bottled water compliments of the Beverage Association of Mississippi, and a free fold-away tote provided by Chevron Pascagoula Refinery (while supplies last). Following the cleanup, volunteers must present their meal ticket at Courthouse Road Pier parking area on Highway 90 in Gulfport where they will enjoy a free lunch courtesy of the Gulf Coast Restaurant Group from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. only on event day.
In Jackson County, lunch for volunteers will be held at the Estuarine Education Center at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Gautier between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. only the day of the event compliments of The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint. Volunteers in Hancock County are invited for hotdogs and drinks starting at 11 a.m. at the Bay St. Louis Depot, courtesy of the Office of Congressman Steven Palazzo, the Bay St. Louis Rotary Club and BB’s Snowballs.
During the 2010 International Coastal Cleanup, more than 600,000 volunteers in 108 countries removed more than 8 million pounds of debris from the ocean, rivers, lakes and waterways.
“Last year the cleanup expanded its efforts to include inland areas and waters since litter tossed upstream makes its way into the Sound and onto our beaches,” Lauren Thompson, state coordinator for the Mississippi Coastal cleanup, said. “In Mississippi, about 2,000 volunteers pitched in and removed 70 tons of trash from 55 sites along the shoreline and coastal waterways as part of the 2010 International Coastal Cleanup.”
For more information visit the official Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Web site at www.mscoastalcleanup.org or call the info line at 1-877-BEACH 05 (1-877-232-2405).
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Volunteers who are Mississippi residents under age 21 must have their parents sign the registration form and fax or mail it back to participate. Non-Mississippi residents 18 and older are not required to have their parents sign the form.
Volunteers will pick up marine debris in all three counties and the barrier islands at 74 designated Coastal Cleanup sites, which include Renew Our Rivers sites and some private sites (private sites not listed).
Designated cleanup areas are as follows:
Hancock County – Diamondhead Community; Kiln Community; McLeod State
• Lakeshore/Clermont Harbor – Beach Boulevard from Pointset Boulevard to the mouth of Bayou Cadet; 3rd Marsh Area between Lakeshore/Clermont Harbor
• Bay St. Louis — Bay Marina, Washington Street/Old Lazy River Road; Bayou LaCroix; Beach Boulevard from Bookter Street to Bay Oaks Drive; Beach Boulevard from U.S. Highway 90 to Bookter Street; Dunbar Avenue, Beach Boulevard to U.S. Highway 90; Garden Isle Community; Highway 603 – Lagan Street/Central Avenue/Riverview Subdivision; Jordan River Shores; Jourdan River Estates; Mouth of Jourdan River to Dunbar Avenue
• Waveland – Beach Boulevard from Buccaneer State Park to Pointset Avenue; Beach Boulevard from Nicholson Avenue to Vacation Lane; Beach Boulevard from Bay Oaks Drive to Nicholson Avenue; Beach Boulevard from Vacation Lane to Buccaneer State Park
Harrison County
• Biloxi — Biloxi Small Craft Harbor; Deer Island (requires boat); Edgewater Mall (south of U.S. Highway 90); Forrest Avenue Pier; Hiller Park; Keegan Bayou (military assigned); Popp’s Ferry Bridge Boat Launch; Porter Avenue (south of Lighthouse); Rodenberg Avenue (Biloxi Beach)
• D’Iberville — D’Iberville Boat Launch; Fountain Pier; Tuxachanie Waterway
• Gulfport — Courthouse Road (south of U.S. Highway 90); Dedeaux Park (off Three Rivers Road); James Hill Park; Kremer Landing; Lower Turkey Creek; Preservation Oaks (south of Island View Casino)
• Long Beach — Long Beach Harbor/Pavilion; Red Creek
• Pass Christian — Pass Christian Harbor at Market Street; Wolf River
Jackson County — Bluff Creek; Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
• Gautier — Gautier City Park; Graveline Road/Shepard State Park
• Moss Point — Bellview Street Boat Launch and Park; Hwy 63 Boat Launch; I-10 Boat Launch; River Front
• Ocean Springs — Davis Bayou (Gulf Islands National Seashore); East Beach; Fort Bayou Pier and Boat Launch; Front Beach (Harbor End); Front Beach (Ocean Springs Yacht Club); Graveline Bayou Pier and Boat Launch; Gulf Park Estates Public Pier
• Pascagoula – Beach Park and Front; I.G. Levy Park, North; Old Spanish Fort; Pascagoula Causeway and River Park; The Point
Barrier Islands – Cat Island; East Ship Island; Horn Island; Petit Bois Island; Sand Island; West Ship Island
The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup’s planning committee, the Mississippi Marine Debris Task Force, is made up of representatives from Ashman & Son, LLC; Chevron Pascagoula Refinery; City of Biloxi; City of Gautier; City of Gulfport; City of Moss Point; City of Ocean Springs; City of Pascagoula; Coastal Rivers; Delbert Hosemann Secretary of State; DMR Marine Patrol; Eco-Tours of South Mississippi; Gautier Pride; Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; Gulf Coast Heritage Trails Partnership; Gulf Islands National Seashore; Hancock County Beautification Committee; Hancock County Board of Supervisors; Hancock County Chamber of Commerce; Hancock County Solid Waste; Harrison County Beautification Commission; Harrison County Board of Supervisors; Harrison County Sand Beach Department; Harrison County Sheriff’s Department; Harrison County Utility Authority; Ingalls Shipbuilding; Jackson County Board of Supervisors; Jackson County Chamber of Commerce; Jackson County Solid Waste Department; Keep Mississippi Beautiful; Keesler Air Force Base; Mississippi Air National Guard CRTC-Gulfport; Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium; Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; Mississippi Department of Marine Resources; Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College; Mississippi Power; Mississippi State University Coastal Research & Extension Center; Naval Construction Battalion Center; North Gulfport Community Land Trust; Office of Congressman Steven Palazzo; Rotary International District 6840; Sea Coast Echo and University of Southern Mississippi-Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.
Other sponsors include:
SEA TURTLE: BP; Chevron Pascagoula Refinery; Gulf Coast Restaurant Group; Matthews Brothers Inc.; Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; Mississippi Department of Marine Resources; The Bait Box
SHARK: Cable One Advertising; Delta Sanitation, A Waste-Pro Company; Lamar Outdoor Advertising-Mississippi Gulf Coast; Mississippi Media; Ocean Conservancy; The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint; The Sun Herald; Waste Management
DOLPHIN: Allen Beverages Inc.; Beverage Association of Mississippi; Coast Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Inc.; Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Consolidated; Conrad Yelvington Distributors, Inc.; Fisher Safety; Milner Rental Center; RPM / Domino’s Pizza; Ship Island Excursions; Sysco Foods
COBIA: Biloxi-D’Iberville Press; Ingalls Shipbuilding; Keep Mississippi Beautiful; K99FM, Magic 93.7, 92.5 The Beat and News Radio 104.9; Kicker 108, Coast 102 and Z95; Knight Abbey Printing & Direct Mail; Mississippi Power; Ocean Springs Gazette; Sea Coast Echo; The Dive Shop; WLOX-TV 13
MULLET: Academy Sports & Outdoors; Ashman & Son, LLC; Bay Ice; BB’s Bar-B-Que & Snak Shak; Cabot Cheese; Coast Electric; Gulf Coast Produce
PHOTO: Members of the Shiloh Baptist Church display debris they collected while cleaning up at the Hwy. 63 boat launch in Moss Point during the 2010 Mississippi Coastal Cleanup. (Photo courtesy of Mississippi Department of Marine Resources)
*Updated 2018*
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: www.mscoastalcleanup.org
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