Help Clean-Up One of Our State's Treasures!

Join the Friends of Hammonasset on September 20th as they take part in the 2014 International Coastal Clean-Up. Peter Goldberg and Sallie Sperling, FoH Trails Committee Leaders, are organizing this year’s clean-up at Hammonasset Beach State Park. The International Coastal Conservancy held their first Beach Cleanup in 1986. Since then it has become the world’s largest volunteer event.

The Friends of Hammonasset have been a part of the International Coastal Clean-Up for the past 5 years. The International Coastal Cleanup is a natural extension for the FoH, as they are on site taking care the trails and beaches at Hammonasset Beach State Park year round.

This 2 mile section of the Connecticut coast is visited by more than 1 million people each year, most of whom visit in the summer. This Coastal Cleanup comes at the end of a particularly busy summer season. The Park Staff does a magnificent job maintaining and cleaning the beaches, but 1.65 million people can leave behind a lot of garbage, and additionally many items wash up on the shore from Long Island Sound.

Last year 1136 volunteers in Connecticut cleaned 31.5 miles of shoreline and collected nearly 7000 pounds of trash. The FoH Trails Committee and their group of about 45 volunteers collected more than 40 huge of bags of garbage. They cleaned-up everything from plastic bottles and bags to food wrappers to and beer cans and more. The most commonly found trash was cigarette butts. Many people do not realize cigarette butts are synthetic products, and can take 10 to 15 years to break apart.

The clean-up is vital to maintain the beauty of HBSP, but more importantly, helps protect the wildlife who live and visit the park. Over this past summer the staff at Meigs Point Nature Center have rescued several birds tangled in fishing line. Not all animals are so lucky.

Garbage bags will be provided. There will be data cards and educational information from the Coastal Conservancy available. The educational information includes decomposition rates of marine debris (how long debris remains in the oceans).

Please bring sturdy gloves and water. Follow the signs to the West Beach parking area. Depending upon the turnout, the FoH and volunteers will clean as much of the 2 miles of beach as possible. Light refreshments will be served after the cleanup.

If you have any questions, please call 203-887-8225 or visit hammonasset.org. Please join the FoH on Saturday, September 20 at 9 AM at the West Beach Parking area and help clean up the beach.