Biscayne Beach Cleanup

Marine debris can be found in every ecosystem in the park.

NPS/Pete Wintersteen

Action speaks louder than words, but not nearly as often. – Mark Twain

Here’s a secret about the National Park Service: it doesn’t happen without volunteers. Every year, the Volunteers in Parks program comprises one of the largest work forces in the federal government. Over 200,000 people give time to the parks every year. This accounts for millions of hours of donated time to accomplish work that could not be done by park staff alone.

What does this look like at Biscayne? Well, what do a paint bucket from Norway, a pack of cigarettes from China, a can of skin lightening cream from the Ivory Coast, a deodorant stick from Germany, a vinegar bottle from Haiti, and a soda bottle from the United States have in common? These and countless other items have been picked up from beaches where endangered sea turtles nest. Every year park staff and volunteers remove tens of thousands of pounds of marine debris from critical natural habitats in the park.

Marine debris washes into the park from all over the world and it causes huge amounts of damage to our cherished natural resources in many ways. You can learn more about it here, but one example is how it affects sea turtles. Sea turtles attempt to eat plastic balloons and other forms of plastic that look like food to them, resulting in a painful and protracted death. Litter washes up on nesting beaches and prevents mother turtles from digging nests, while the same debris prevents hatchlings from reaching the ocean.

The Biscayne Beach Cleanup program is a nationally-recognized and awarded volunteer opportunity. It brings visitors to beautiful and remote areas in the park to spend a rigorous day painstakingly cleaning up marine debris from our small, critically important beaches. The park is dedicated to keeping our beaches clean, but we need your help.

This is not a typical vacation day, but it might just change your life.

It’s one thing to pick up a piece of garbage in the street or to read about marine debris online, but to leave a beach pristine after hours of strenuous work is transformative for the resource, and for the self.

To be clear: there will be bugs, full sun, heavy lifting, waist-deep water, and a long boat ride across open water. This is a very strenuous day of picking up garbage. You must be 16 or older, willing and able to endure high heat, humidity, and direct sun for several hours.

Still interested? Here are some details:

 

 

A hatchling makes it to the ocean!

Where?

Beaches and shorelines of Biscayne National Park. The day will start and end at our visitor center in Homestead, FL. We will travel by boat to our barrier islands to cleanup remote beaches!

When?

Weekdays from December through April. Booking of trips begins in October. Each day starts at 8 am and ends around 3 pm. A full day of adventure and challenge!

Who?

Groups of people, who are ages 16 and older. Groups must be a minimum of four people, and no more than 12 people. Groups can be students, friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, or anyone you know!

Single person signups are not allowed.

Alterative break college groups - contact us as soon as possible to schedule a week a service learning!

Why?

To remove accumulating oceanic marine debris off the park’s shorelines. These special areas are home to diverse wildlife and are an important nesting habitat for sea turtles!

How?

Get a group together, then email us at [e-mail] to learn more and sign up!

 

A comparison of a patch before and after being cleaned.

 

Hauling marine debris from the shore to the boat.