By Agrippina Fadel

High school students participating in the county-led beach cleanup can earn community service hours.

Part of the Ocean Conservancy’s 38th Annual International Coastal Cleanup, Broward County’s Natural Resources Division is organizing a beach cleanup at 12 different locations in the community, including Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach, Hollywood, and Hallandale Beach.

Held on Saturday, September 16, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the cleanup is open to the community, and kids of all ages are welcome.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring a hat, sunscreen, gloves, water, and buckets. Other materials for the cleanup, including trash bags, gloves, and data cards, are provided by Broward County.

Broward County’s Natural Resources Specialist Mark Hartman said getting service hours during the Coastal Cleanup will be easy for the students.

“The site captains will have service hour forms and can complete and distribute those or sign any of the school-specific service hour forms that students bring. Students can also email CoastalCleanup@Broward.org if they decide to do virtual cleanup to receive hours that way,” he explained.

The Coastal Cleanup is part of a year-round effort to find solutions for marine debris, which can damage sensitive coastal habitats and kill thousands of wildlife, including birds and fish. Every piece of trash volunteers find will be tracked and included in the Ocean Trash Index, the world’s largest database on marine litter.

During the International Coastal Cleanup Day in 2022, more than 2,000 Broward County volunteers removed over 42,000 pieces of trash weighing nearly 6,000 pounds.

To volunteer, email coastalcleanup@broward.org with contact information, preferred site location, and the number of people in the group.

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