SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) – The Friends of Charleston National Parks joined South Carolina’s Sea Grant and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for their 36th Annual Beach Sweep on Sullivan’s Island by Fort Moultrie to collect trash from beaches.
Families and community members across the Lowcountry came out to clean and help protect the beaches on Sullivan’s Island, collecting everything from different plastics to cans.
“The mission for today is really just to get everybody out and about connected with nature, connected with the beach, and really participate in cleaning up the areas that we all love and to help keep a beautiful future for our beaches and for our public lands,” Friends of Charleston National Parks member Amy Meola said.
Since 1988, South Carolinians have come together every third Saturday in September to clear trash from our beaches and waterways, just like the 36th Annual Beach Sweep.
“Everybody laughing, smiling, having a great time. You know, we just need more of that in the world,” U.S. Coast Guard Seaman and volunteer Will Jones said.
Volunteers were given a trash bag, gloves and a trash picker to help them with their cleanup.
“If we keep throwing it on the ground and bringing it to the beach. All the wildlife is going to get sick, and we don’t want that,” volunteer Sebastain Killian said.
Many children participated in the beach sweep, showing that anyone can help make an impact.
“Sea turtles have found a lot of plastic bags that they think are jellyfish and are eating them, and it gets caught in their throat,” Girl Scout volunteer Katelyn Rising said.
“We’re all part of a community, and if our whole community works together, we can stop this nonsense,” volunteer Penelope Killian said.
“Good to teach kids about learning and sharing their community at a very young age. So, they know better when they get older,” Girl Scout volunteer Hannah Mayhew said.
Volunteers collected an entire truckload of trash and debris from the beach.
“It’s nothing to pick up some trash, throw it away, recycle, do all the good stuff. Man, take care of the environment, take care of us,” Jones said.
“You don’t have to be an expert. You don’t need to know about pollution or the ocean. It’s just showing up and taking a nice walk, and just picking up some trash, and it makes a bigger difference than you would think.” Meola said.
“Coming together as a community, doing what we can to preserve the lands and preserve the history that they hold so that they stay intact for future generations,” volunteer Hanna Goble said.