Longboat Key Turtle Watch gets trashy for a good cause

“Straw!”

“Plastic!”

“Got some foam.”

On Saturday, Sept. 21, these shouts filled the early morning air on Longboat Key’s beaches as over 30 volunteers gathered to pick up other people’s trash. The gathering was part of International Coastal Cleanup, put on in this area by Keep Manatee Beautiful. Other cleanups took care of other areas of the coast, from Anna Maria Island down to Siesta Key. 

Everyone met at Christ Church of Longboat Key before fanning out, armed with reusable bags for trash and a group leader to tally the trash. Every particle was counted, from a bit of foam to an old boogie board. A few discoveries of a more natural nature, including bleached crab skeletons and shells, turned up as well. It gets easier to spot things when your eyes are constantly fixated on the ground. 

Afterward, the trash was dumped into the beach trash cans, hands were scrubbed and folks joined each other for breakfast at Blue Dolphin Cafe.