12-65-CWS | October 4, 2012
Volunteers in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties are needed for the 24th annual Mississippi Coastal Cleanup to be held from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 20, in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup—the world’s largest volunteer cleanup effort on behalf of the marine environment. Gov. Phil Bryant has signed a proclamation in support of the annual event organized by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the Mississippi Marine Debris Task Force.
“Clean, litter-free coastlines are essential to the health of Mississippi’s marine environments and our tourism industry,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “I encourage people to participate in this year’s Mississippi Coastal Cleanup and help make it a great success.”
In addition, the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup will continue its partnership with Mississippi Power’s Renew Our Rivers program. The Renew Our Rivers cleanups will take place October 10 and 11.
Three ways to register: 1) Register online at www.mscoastalcleanup.org, 2) Download the registration form from the website and fax it back, or 3) Call one of these numbers to request a form and sign up to volunteer: 467-9048 in Hancock County; 214-1405 in Harrison County; 938-6612 in Jackson County; and 875-9057 for the Barrier Islands. Although online registration closes Monday, Oct. 8, you can still register after the deadline by downloading the registration form at mscoastalcleanup.org.
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 reusable lunch sack provided by Chevron Pascagoula Refinery (while supplies last). Following the cleanup, volunteers must present their meal ticket at Jones Park in Gulfport in the big tent north of the boat launch, where they will enjoy a free lunch courtesy of RPM/Domino’s Pizza and CCA Mississippi 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 Washington St. Pavilion on the beach in Bay St. Louis, courtesy of the Office of Congressman Steven Palazzo and the Bay St. Louis Rotary Club.
During the 2011 International Coastal Cleanup, more than 600,000 volunteers in 108 countries removed more than 9 million pounds of debris from the ocean, rivers, lakes and waterways. In Mississippi, more than 3,000 volunteers pitched in and removed 70 tons of trash.
“Hurricane Isaac is a reminder of the major impact marine debris can have on our shoreline,” Lauren Thompson, state coordinator for the Mississippi Coastal cleanup, said. “The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup is an opportunity for volunteers of all ages to join together and play a role in helping to clean up and restore our beaches and coastal waterways.”
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 75 designated Coastal Cleanup sites, which include Renew Our Rivers sites and some private sites (not listed).
Designated cleanup areas are as follows:
Hancock County – Diamondhead Community; Diamondhead Yacht Club through Rotten Bayou; Kiln Community; McLeod State Park; Jourdan River Shores and Bayou Talla
• 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 Gulf Methodist Assembly to west side of 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); Coast Coliseum at Beach Comfort Station
• 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; Beach- east of Jones Park
• Long Beach — Long Beach Harbor/Pavilion
• Pass Christian — Pass Christian Harbor at Market Street
Jackson County — Bluff Creek; Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
• Gautier — Gautier City Park; Graveline Road/Shepard State Park; Indian Point/Sioux Bayou; Pine Island/W Pascagoula River; Mary Walker Waterways; West Pascagoula River Bridge
• 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; Lower Pascagoula River Island; Singing River Island; Round Island
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; Hands On Mississippi; 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; Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems; 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; Matthews Brothers Inc.; Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; Mississippi Department of Marine Resources; The Bait Box; Mississippi Power; The Shed Barbeque and Blues Joint
SHARK: Cable One Advertising; Delta Sanitation, A Waste-Pro Company; Lamar Outdoor Advertising-Mississippi Gulf Coast; Mississippi Media; Ocean Conservancy; The Sun Herald; Waste Management
DOLPHIN: Allen Beverages Inc.; Beverage Association of Mississippi; Coast Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Inc.; Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Consolidated; Fisher Safety; Milner Rental Center; RPM / Domino’s Pizza; Ship Island Excursions
COBIA: Biloxi-D’Iberville Press; Cabot Cheese; 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; Ocean Springs Gazette; Sea Coast Echo; The Dive Shop; WLOX-TV 13
MULLET: Academy Sports & Outdoors; Coast Electric
PHOTO: Mai Dang and her daughters Ashlyn Le, 6, and Kaitlyn Le, 4, of Biloxi, clean the beach near Porter Avenue in Biloxi during the 2011 Mississippi Coastal Cleanup. (Photo courtesy of Mississippi Department of Marine Resources)
*Updated 2018*
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: www.mscoastalcleanup.org
[ Download PDF ]
