BERLIN — Assateague Coastal Trust will host a beach cleanup at the Assateague Island National Seashore on Aug. 25, beginning at 9 a.m. in the north ocean beach parking lot just inside the park.
As summer slowly winds down and the beach crowds begin to thin, trash and litter from the busy tourist season is often left to accumulate throughout the coastal region. In response to the increasing problem of litter and the risk which plastics pose to the environment, Assateague Coastal Trust developed the Trash Free Assateague (TFA) program. Hosting beach cleanups in the area since February of this year, Assateague Coastal Trust is utilizing these beach cleanups to not just remove litter from area beaches, but to raise awareness to the issue at hand.
“Trash Free Assateague is here to educate the community about the excessive amount of litter being found on our beaches and waterways, and to encourage individuals to adopt lifestyle practices that are lighter on the environment,” TFA founder Billy Weiland said.
In response to the plastic crises, Weiland said one of the primary solutions must be a change in consumer habits.
“Corporate producers are not going to change the products they put on the market until the demand for those products changes,” he said.
On Saturday, Aug. 25, Assateague Coastal Trust will host the eighth official beach cleanup of the TFA project at the north ocean beach lot on Assateague Island National Seashore from 9-11 a.m. A brief educational program will precede the cleanup. Volunteers for the event will have free admission into the park.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact Weiland at [email protected].