This Saturday is International Coastal Cleanup Day! The first coastal cleanup happened in 1986 when Linda Maraniss had just moved from Washington DC to Texas.
Linda had worked in Ocean Conservancy and was inspired by her colleague and friend Kathy O'Hara. Kathy had been working on a report called Plastics in the Ocean: More than a Litter Problem.
Linda and Kathy reached out to local business, dedicated ocean-lovers, and the Texas General Land office to plan Ocean Conservancy's first cleanup.
Instead of just getting together and picking up trash they collected the data. The recorded each item with the intention of logging the information to find solutions to ocean pollution in the future.
The Cleanup has grown immensely in the last 30 years. What started out as 2,800 passionate individuals has grown to more than 100 countries participating in a now international coastal clean up event!
You can view all 30+ years of the Coastal Cleanup Reports here.
If you'd like to get involved with a cleanup use their handy map tool to find a cleanup near you. Of course, if you can't find a cleanup near you they provide all of the tools for you to start one.
If you're previously engaged this Saturday make sure to check out the other ways you can help.
