Volunteers make clean sweep on Sister Keys

The approximately 80 volunteers, who turned out for the third annual Sarasota Bay Watch Sister Keys Cleanup May 7, were expecting to have more work to do. But  they didn’t find as much to clean up as in the past, which is good news for the keys.

In previous years, tires, plastic chairs and even a toilet seat were found. This year, plastic bottles were numerous, and there was a lot of paper trash, but no large items were reported.

David Miller, of Cannons Marina, and Rusty Chinnis, founder of Sarasota Bay Watch, were on hand to transport volunteers from the town dock at Linley Street to the keys. Many, however, chose to paddle their own kayaks — they combined a bit of fun with their volunteering.

After the morning cleanup, volunteers were treated by the Chiles Restaurant Group to lunch at the Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant and Pub.

The annual cleanup is presented in cooperation with the town of Longboat Key, the Chiles Restaurant Group and Sarasota Bay Watch.