Rescue a Reef beach cleanup 2021

Please join our Rescue a Reef program for an end of the year celebration and beach cleanup! Our coral restoration team will be hosting the citizen science event in collaboration with Historic Virginia Key Beach Park (HVKBP) to help remove marine debris from the park and provide important data to researchers and policy makers (via the Clean Swell app). Come for a day of citizen science, coral conservation, and community fun!

The activity will take place on Sunday, December 12th from 10am - 12pm (noon) at the Chickee Village pavilion! Our Rescue a Reef team, with the help of the HVKBP staff, will give a short intro and overview of the activities before working to clean a stretch of the beach's shoreline. We will provide garbage bags and gloves but everyone is welcome to bring their own materials if desired. At the end, we will weigh the trash bags at the pavilion and debrief the group on what we were able to learn and accomplish!

Our team will be available throughout at the event headquarters for questions, comments, and access to exclusive Rescue a Reef merchandise gifts to those interested in donating!

Info for Volunteers:

• Parking at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park will be free to all participants (simply mention our event).
• Our team will have a check-in booth set up at 10am at the SW beach entrance. Please look for our table and Rescue a Reef banner!
• Masks are required at check-in.
• Dress for the weather and wear appropriate foot-wear (sunglasses, hat, and reef-safe sunscreen are recommended).
• If you have gloves, bring them. We will be providing gloves but cannot guarantee they will be in your size. We suggest reusable working, gardening, or dish gloves that you can pick up at the grocery/hardware store.
• BYO reusable water bottle for water; Rescue a Reef will provide a cooler for refills!
• Snacks will not be provided but feel free to bring your own food.
• This event is suitable for all ages.
• Please maintain 2-3ft of social distancing whenever possible.
• Do not attend this event if you are experiencing COVID symptoms or have been exposed to someone potentially infected with COVID-19. Please complete the CDC's COVID-19 screening tool before attending (here).
• Prior to the event, please download the free Clean Swell app by the Ocean Conservation to collect Citizen Science marine debris data!

Registration is required to participate and all volunteers must complete the online waiver (here). This will help expedite check-in!

Where possible, please have guests in your party RSVP individually so we can ensure they get all important and accurately plan for turnout!

Scientists estimate that more than 17 billion pounds of plastic enters our ocean every year threatening marine life from corals polyps to sharks, the health of people, and local economies. By volunteering your time and energy at this event, you will be actively participating in a global citizen science project to remove and catalogue what you find through on the beach via the Clean Swell app. The resulting item-by-item, location-by-location Ocean Trash Index that Ocean Conservancy compiles each year provides the only global snapshot of the marine debris littering coasts and waterways around the world!

We hope to see you there!