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Jacksonville Beach. City of Jacksonville

Volunteers sought for Saturday’s Coastal Cleanup

Published on September 13, 2023 at 11:29 am
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Volunteers willing to get sand in their shoes and collect bags of trash are being sought for Saturday’s International Coastal Cleanup along Jacksonville’s ocean- and riverfront shorelines.

Both the city and Timucuan Parks Foundation are hosting multiple cleanups Saturday morning, to remove whatever has washed ashore or been left behind by beachgoers.

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The International Coastal Cleanup began more than 35 years ago when communities rallied together with the common goal of collecting and documenting the trash littering their coastlines, according to the Ocean Conservancy. Since the cleanup’s beginning, more than 17 million volunteers have collected more than 350 million pounds of trash, the conservancy reported.

The Timucuan Parks Foundation leads cleanups at Fort Caroline National Memorial and the Reddie Point Preserve. Volunteers are needed from 9 to 11 a.m. at Fort Caroline National Memorial at 12713 Ft. Caroline Road or from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Reddie Point Preserve, at 4499 Yachtsman Way.

Participants should wear closed-toe shoes and clothes they do not mind getting dirty. Bring work gloves and a reusable water bottle. The foundation will have additional gloves, trash bags and supplies, plus snacks and additional water to refill bottles. 

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Participants must be 18 or older, unless accompanied by an adult. Waivers can be found at  timucuanparks.org/volunteer.

Meanwhile, the city of Jacksonville is hosting multiple waterfront cleanup projects.

From 7 to 9 a.m., these cleanups will be held at the ocean:

  • 8th Avenue North.
  • 16th Avenue South.
  • Atlantic Boulevard.
  • Beach Boulevard.
  • Seagate/20th Avenue.

Other locations will have cleanups from 9 to 11 a.m.:

  • Boone Park North,3700 Park St.
  • Boone Park South, 3725 St. Johns Ave.
  • Burnett Park, 3740 Burnett Park Road.
  • Charles Reese Park, 1200 Ken Knight Drive.
  • Fishweir Park, 3925 Valencia Road.
  • Five Points, 1028 Park St.
  • Fort Caroline National Memorial, – 12713 Ft. Caroline Road.
  • Hollybrook Park, 319 Cherokee St.
  • Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park (8 a.m. – 10 a.m.), 500 Wonderwood Drive, Atlantic Beach 
  • Klutho Park, 204 W. 3rd St.
  • Leonard Abess Park,m 12743 Leonard Abess Park.
  • Lonnie Wurn Boat Ramp (8 a.m. – 10 a.m.), 4131 Ferber Road.
  • McCue Park and Boat Ramp, 2510 Second Ave. North.
  • Mandarin Park, 14780 Mandarin Road.
  • Reddie Point Preserve (8 a.m. – 10 a.m.), 4499 Yachtsman Way.
  • Riverside Arts Market, 715 Park St.
  • Riverside Park – 753 Park St.
  • Riverview Community Senior Center & Park (8 a.m. – 10 a.m.), 9620 W. Water St.
  • T.K. Stokes Boat Ramp, 2120 Riverview St.
  • Walter Jones Historical Park, 11964 Mandarin Road.
  • Willow Branch Park, 2870 Sydney St.

And All Wet Sports/Beach Boulevard Boat Ramp’s cleanup is set for 10 a.m. to noon at 8505 Beach Blvd.

Site captains at all locations will register volunteers and provide bags and gloves at the cleanup locations. Volunteers of all ages are welcome at the city cleanups, but those under 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian, who also must accompany them.


author image Reporter email Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with almost 40 years of experience in radio, television and print reporting. He has worked at various stations in the Northeast and Jacksonville. Dan also spent 34 years at The Florida Times-Union as a police and current affairs reporter.

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