The Maine Coastal Program, a division of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, has opened registration for the annual Coastal Cleanup.
The Coastal Cleanup is a volunteer-driven initiative designed to clean debris from Maine’s coastal shores and waterfront communities.
Part of the International Coastal Cleanup effort, Maine’s Coastal Cleanup will run during the month of September. Anyone who wishes to coordinate a local cleanup can register online by completing a brief form on the DMR website and selecting one of nearly 150 sites along the coast at maine.gov/dmr/programs.
Once a registration has been received, DMR will remove the chosen location from the available sites on the online registration form. If a coordinator indicates on the registration form they are seeking volunteers, DMR will list that site along with contact information so interested volunteers can reach out to the coordinator.
Prior to the date of each cleanup, coordinators will be sent a package containing resources to collect and record trash.
“We encourage coordinators to have their volunteers bring gloves, hats, sunscreen and water to stay hydrated,” said Theresa Torrent, outreach and stewardship specialist for the Maine Coastal Program.
The International Coastal Cleanup was established over 35 years ago to address the problem of trash in the oceans and on the coasts. The nonprofit Ocean Conservancy, which coordinates the global initiative, maintains a database of all the items volunteers around the world record when collecting trash.
In 2022, 533 Maine volunteers cleared 2,580 pounds of trash from 56 miles of the state’s coastline.
“Every year the Maine Coastal Cleanup provides a chance for people to join a global initiative aimed at improving the health of our oceans and to support Maine’s vital coastal communities,” said Torrent. “As the state coordinator for the International Coastal Cleanup for over 30-years, the Maine Coastal Program remains committed to supporting and facilitating efforts like this to keep our coastline and waterways clean.”
Anyone interested in coordinating a coastal cleanup can register online on the DMR website.
For more information regarding Maine’s Coastal Cleanup program, email theresa.torrent@maine.gov.
