Clam Bayou Clean Up

After two hours of scouring mangroves, sandbars and rocks, volunteers pulled plastic bottles, fishing line, Styrofoam and even a tire and shopping cart from Clam Bayou.

Kurt Zuelsdorf said the trash they found would have taken decades to decompose if someone hadn’t come along to pick it up.

“A plastic bag takes 25 years to decompose . . . monofilament fishing line takes 650. Imagine . . . 15 generations is what it’ll take for this to decompose.” Zuelsdorf said.

Zuelsdorf helped lead volunteers and students throughout the bayou for the clean up event. Students with USF St. Petersburg’s “Lead Learn and Serve” program organized the event as part of their first ever “Lead Week”. Other events for the week included a health fair on campus and historic downtown tour.

The two-hour clean up proved to be a success, USF St. Petersburg Senior Robert Tevlin pulled out a tire from the mud. “That’s what we’re here for . . . I was impressed, I knew there was gonna be trash.” After Tevlin loaded up a tire and shopping cart on his paddleboard, “I didn’t think I was gonna make it back,” he said.

Tevlin is not part of the Lead Learn and Serve program, but came out to help as soon as he heard about the opportunity. “I grew up on the water, I love it.” He said.

Senior Carlos Castro said this was his first time at Clam Bayou. “I didn’t expect to see things like this . . . I would do this again in a heart beat.”

Lead, Learn, Serve Program Director Charlie Justice said the event was a success and perhaps they’ll come again next year. 

Clam Bayou received special attention on Wednesday. Two hours before this clean up, Sam Henderson's class with USF St. Petersburg was held at Clam Bayou with a clean up as well.