The Maine Coastal Program, a Division of the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), has opened registration for the annual Coastal Cleanup. The Coastal Cleanup is a volunteer-led initiative designed to clean debris from Maine's coastal shores and riparian communities.
As part of the International Coastal Cleanup, the Maine Coastal Cleanup will take place during the month of September. Anyone who wants to coordinate a local cleanup can register online by filling out a form and selecting one of the nearly 150 sites along the coast.
Once a registration has been received, DMR will remove the chosen location from the sites available on the online registration form. If a coordinator indicates on the registration form that they are looking for volunteers, DMR will list that site along with contact information so that interested volunteers can contact the coordinator.
Prior to the date of each cleanup, coordinators will receive a resource packet to collect and record trash. "We are encouraging coordinators to bring their volunteers gloves, hats, sunscreen and water to stay hydrated," said Theresa Torrent, Maine Coastal Program Management and Outreach Specialist.
The International Coastal Cleanup was established more than 35 years ago to address the problem of litter in our oceans and coasts. The nonprofit Ocean Conservancy, which coordinates the global initiative, maintains a database of all items that volunteers around the world record while collecting trash and publishes a cleanup report each year.
According to the most recent report, from 2019, 1,566 Maine volunteers cleaned 3,626 pounds of trash from 157 miles of the state's coastline. "Each year, this effort provides an opportunity for people to support Maine's coastal communities and join a global initiative aimed at improving the health of our oceans," said Torrent.
"The Maine Coastal Program has been the State Coordinator for International Coastal Cleanup for more than 30 years and remains committed to supporting and facilitating efforts like this to keep our beaches and coastal waterways clean," said Torrent.
Anyone interested in coordinating a shoreline cleanup can register online at https://www.maine.gov/dmr/mcp/planning/coastweek/cleanup2021.html
For more information on the Maines Coastal Cleanup Program, please contact theresa.torrent@maine.gov
