Join in on a citywide effort to pick up litter all across Clearwater on Saturday, October 16!
For just a few hours, you can make a difference.
Anyone can volunteer and community groups are welcome. Businesses and organizations will plan their own clean ups during the week from October 11 – 16.
For the big finale on Saturday, October 16th, zone-based clean ups will take place throughout Clearwater. All registered cleanups will be supported by The Big Clean Up Campaign for check-in, supplies and liability waivers.
The partners engaged in the campaign are Ocean Allies, AMPLIFY Clearwater, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and the City of Clearwater.
Sponsorships are also available starting at just $250, with Feature sponsorships at $1,000 and up. For more information on sponsoring the Big Clean Up Clearwater, contact Ocean Allies at OceanAlliesMembership@gmail.com.
Samantha Moullet, the City of Clearwater’s Volunteer Specialist said, “The amount of trash collected annually from city beaches by our Landscape and Beautification team is 40,000 yards. The volunteer program has collectively removed 572 lbs. of trash so far this year from Clearwater Beach.”
I asked Samantha, “If someone is aware of a lot of garbage in a particular area in Clearwater, who should it be reported to?”
She said it depends on exactly what kind of garbage/where it is located.
“If people want to be part of the solution to clean up or adopt a space (park, road, beach, or other public space) within Clearwater they can contact me at 727-562-4873 or at Samantha.moullet@myclearwater.com.
If it is a dump site, large pile of garbage, etc. on public property, they can submit it through our online portal at Clearwater Connect and it will be routed to the correct department or staff member, depending on its location. This is by far the best way to report, because it is tracked throughout the process and the resident will be notified each step of the way. If a resident does not have access to a computer, they can call our general parks line at 727-562-4800.
Keep Pinellas Beautiful also has a county-wide Litter Hotline.”
Ocean Allies is one of the partners engaged in the campaign. The mission of Ocean Allies is to connect tourism and conservation with strategies to thrive, maintaining tourism jobs while increasing the protection of our beach environment and marine life.
Sheri Heilman, President of Ocean Allies, stresses that educating the public – both locals and tourists – on not littering is a big part of keeping Clearwater bright and beautiful, as the city’s slogan states.
The Ocean Ally pledge says:
I am an Ocean Ally
I take this pledge to protect this beautiful beach.
I promise to tread lightly, act kindly and explore mindfully.
I shall not take what is not mine and will help preserve this marine life habitat.
I will take my trash and litter others may have left behind.
The only thing I will leave are my footprints in the sand.
For your chance to make a difference, register now to cleanup at https://bit.ly/TheBigCleanupClearwater
For more information on the campaign’s partners, visit these sites:
Check out these photos from past Clearwater cleanups, courtesy of the City of Clearwater:
#KeepItCleanCLWR #OceanAllies
