Great Lakes Beach cleanup season kicks off April 24

Spring is here, so it’s time for the annual spring cleaning of Great Lakes beaches and shorelines with the Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-a-Beach program. On Saturday, April 24, thousands of volunteers will join cleanups across the Great Lakes region to kick off the beach cleanup season and celebrate Earth Day. Volunteers can visit www.greatlakesadopt.org to create or join a cleanup in their community. New and returning volunteers are needed. Adopta Beach volunteers come from all eight Great Lakes states and all walks of life, including individuals, families, school and youth groups, businesses, and community organizations. Great Lakes beaches and shorelines are in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Visit www.greatlakesadopt.org to find a cleanup in your community or to create your own cleanup event. Adopt-a-Beach volunteers clean up and protect local beaches and shorelines by picking up trash and recording their findings. This data helps researchers and policymakers understand pollution problems around the region. Each year about 85 percent of the litter picked up by Adopta Beach volunteers is made up of plastic and the cleanups help to keep this pollution out of our Great Lakes. For more information contact Jennifer Caddick, at jcaddick@greatlakes.org or (315) 767-2802.