Team of local volunteers brave cold weather to clean-up Jetty Park Beach

Keep Brevard Beautiful and Rockledge High School students pick up trash, some of which washed ashore from Hurricane Irma and recent storms

Port Canaveral, FL – January 31, 2018 – More than 50 students, Port Canaveral staff, and community volunteers braved chilly temperatures and brisk winds Tuesday morning to clear marine debris and trash on a stretch of Jetty Park Beach at Port Canaveral. The cleanup was organized by Keep Brevard Beautiful (KBB) in partnership with the Propeller Club of Port Canaveral, the Canaveral Pilots Association, and the Canaveral Port Authority.

“Port Canaveral is committed to preserving the quality of our local beaches which are vital resources for our community,” said Capt. John Murray, Port CEO. “Jetty Park beach and our entire coastal environment is important to the tourism industry here. Once again, we are proud to join our partners at Keep Brevard Beautiful in our on-going commitment to preserve the quality of our beaches for everyone’s enjoyment.”

 

Today’s volunteers, armed with litter grabbers, buckets, and enthusiasm, sifted through sand and seaweed for trash that was either discarded or washed ashore. Much of the debris collected included plastic bottles and cans, as well as other assorted trash, some of which brought in by tides as a result of Hurricane Irma and recent storms and high winds in the region.

The students are part of Rockledge High School’s Maritime Studies program (HELM), which empowers and inspires teens to learn, participate and volunteer in the maritime industry. In just a few hours, volunteers picked up a dozen bags of trash that will either be recycled or discarded.

Keep Brevard Beautiful was recently awarded a National Community Improvement Award for its Lagoon Friendly Lawn Program on the Indian River Lagoon and their Summer Series Program.