Coastal Cleanup draws unprecedented numbers in North Palm Beach County

By KIT BRADSHAW
September 20, 2006

Volunteers throughout North County came out in record numbers to be part of the International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, picking up debris and trash near all the area's waterways.

Carlin Park led the way with 175 volunteers who picked up more than 1,000 pounds of trash from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

"I've never had that many volunteers, said Jocelyn O'Neill, environmental educator for the Loxahatchee River Environmental Center. The Loxahatchee River District and Friends of the Loxahatchee River joined in the international event that was sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy and Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful.

"We had a lot of students from Jupiter, Dwyer, Benjamin and Suncoast (high schools) doing their community service," she said. "Plus, we had Girl Scouts and Brownies from area troops joining in as well.

Other areas reporting include:

• Jupiter Beach, 85 volunteers picked up 250 pounds of trash and about seven pounds of monofilament line.

• Jupiter River Estates neighborhood, had 30 volunteers and some assistance from Rapid Removal, a trash removal service in collecting more than 1,700 pounds of trash, including cans, bottle, fence parts, buoys, roofing materials, a bicycle, Easter eggs and even half a brassiere.

• Jupiter Farms had 46 volunteers who collected about 600 pounds of trash and several pounds of aluminum, including old street signs and discarded tires.

• Abacoa had 16 volunteers cleaning up 60 pounds of trash along four miles of the greenway.

• There were 120 volunteers at Loggerhead Park area, who gathered about 750 pounds of trash from the beach and along two miles of A1A.