The Landings & Bay Colony

26

Fort Lauderdale Beach Sweep

Mission: To provide clean beaches for our environmental, recreational and economic well-being.

One Year Anniversary

On Saturday, September 10, 2016, Fort Lauderdale Beach
Sweep will celebrate its one-year anniversary. The
celebration will include their participation in the Ocean
Conservancy’s Annual International Coastal Clean Up. Fort
Lauderdale Beach Sweep looks forward to record-breaking
participation and the start to another year of impactful
volunteer work on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

With more than 1,000 pounds of garbage, plastics and
recyclables and in excess of 100,000 cigarette butts
collected from Fort Lauderdale Beach in less than a year,
Fort Lauderdale Beach Sweep is making a difference. The
non-profit beach clean-up group is concerned not only with
the environmental effects of litter on our beaches but with
the economic impact as well. 

Upon their one-year anniversary, more than 1,250
volunteers including students, environmentalists and beach
lovers will have joined Fort Lauderdale Beach Sweep to
give back to their community. Local non-profits, employer-
based programs, alumni associations and students of any
age seeking community service hours are all welcome to
participate. Pre-registration is not necessary.

The all-volunteer organization is a partner with the City of
Fort Lauderdale and works closely with the Neighbor
Volunteer Office to ensure equipment and resources are
available to carry out their mission: to provide clean

beaches for our environmental, recreational and economic
well-being.

The Beach Sweep recognizes that cleanup is not enough to
curb the issue. For that reason, they’ve enlisted the help of
environmental education group Kids Ecology Corps. (KEC)
to provide educational sessions for all Beach Sweep
volunteers during monthly clean-ups. KEC instructors teach
how actions on land impact the health of our oceans and
wildlife, and they also re-purpose some of the litter for
projects. Local publisher and eco litter art artist Susie Q.
Wood often participates by combing through collected
trash to make art. Her work has been on display at Fort
Lauderdale City Hall and Broward County Main Library.

Grassroots environmental organization Surfrider
Foundation found, once again, cigarette butts topping the
list of the most common pieces of litter found on our
beaches. As dangerous as the plastics and toxins are from
those butts, all pieces of trash compromise the health of
humans, wildlife and the livelihood of those who depend
on a healthy ocean. That litter also mars the experience of
beachgoers and threatens Fort Lauderdale tourism and
recreation – something our economy depends on. 

Volunteers may arrive any time after 7:00am on the
second Saturday of every month. The clean-up ends at
11:00am. Registration is at The Hub, where Las Olas
meets the beach, 300 South Fort Lauderdale Beach
Boulevard. Volunteers may collect litter for just one hour or
all four. Buckets, grabbers and gloves are provided.
Limited complimentary volunteer parking is available until
11:00am on clean up days at the Las Olas South
Intracoastal Lot, 40 Las Olas Circle. 

For more information about 
Fort Lauderdale Beach Sweep, visit their Facebook page at
Facebook.com/flbeachsweep.  

I

Preserve Our Environment