Search
Close this search box.

Local beach cleanup draws hundreds of volunteers, 3,000 cigarette butts removed

On Saturday, April 29, 2023, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism and Saltwater Restaurants teamed up to host a community-wide Earth Day Cleanup event.  With the goal of removing as much litter as possible from local beaches, the cleanup took place at The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island, The Crab Trap/James Lee Park, The Surf Hut, Norriego Point, […]

Keep Okaloosa Beautiful

On Saturday, April 29, 2023, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism and Saltwater Restaurants teamed up to host a community-wide Earth Day Cleanup event. 

  • From 8-10am, hundreds of volunteers from local businesses, government agencies, communities, and families came together to clean up trash and debris from six popular beach locations.

With the goal of removing as much litter as possible from local beaches, the cleanup took place at The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island, The Crab Trap/James Lee Park, The Surf Hut, Norriego Point, Clement Taylor Park, and Henderson Beach State Park. People of all ages participated in the event, working together to preserve the beauty and health of our coastal ecosystem.

Marine debris is a serious issue for our local environment, posing threats to seabirds and coastal marine life. Last year, during the International Coastal Cleanup, volunteers collected 1,000 pounds of garbage and over 8,000 cigarette butts, according to county officials.

Keep Okaloosa Beautiful

Jessica Valek, Coastal Resource Coordinator at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism, emphasized the importance of such events: 

  • “The Earth Day Cleanup is a great way to bring the community together and do good for the environment. Removing trash and debris not only protects the environment but also the health of our communities and local wildlife. Although the Earth Day Cleanup is held only once a year, we should treat every day like Earth Day to ensure future generations have a clean and safe home.”

This year’s Earth Day Cleanup featured an exciting new addition: the Keep Florida Beautiful BeBot. This solar-powered beach cleaning robot sifts small pieces of debris from the surface layers of sand, making the cleanup process more efficient and effective. The BeBot was donated to Keep Florida Beautiful by Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation and was hosted for this event by the Keep Okaloosa Beautiful affiliate.

Around 300 participants gathered at The Boardwalk, with approximately 200 more volunteers spread across the other five locations. Final numbers on all items collected are still being tallied, but the results of the cigarette butt competition are in: 

  • Volunteers removed 3,000 cigarette butts, a significant decrease compared to previous years.

Join the conversation...

Continue reading 👇

Community Comments

“Yea Don Gaetz of all people, he should go!”
Respond
“Why the H... does anyone vote for any politician who is in favor of having the horrible disgusting private beaches? Every resident, every visitor, every tax payer MUST have a...”
Respond
“The air force doesn't own or need the land! It isn't theirs. It was mostly Choctawhatchee National Forest. The air force tried to sell that land in the 2000's but...”
Respond
“Those signs that you recommend have been there for years, just people annoyed them to the point that Eglin has now had to step the game up”
Respond
“Now that Ms. Ketchel has torn down more dunes, plus paved over what was beautiful sand, golf carts can drive from one end to the other. No way to cross...”
Respond
“It shows the beach being a part of the property. This was part of the plot plan. When the documents were shown to the attorney in depositions the Walton County...”
Respond
“Great history lesson. The only point I'll disagree with is the multi use path... I think its a good thing. Maybe a lot of money but it may save a...”
Respond
“This fence is a colossal waste of DoD dollars and needs to be investigated. These dollars should have been spent supporting the warfighter. The ruse that it protects environmentally sensitive...”
Respond
“This article is obviously written by someone with 0 knowledge of the area. The erosion happening now is because " The Wall," as anyone that's been here since the 70's...”
Respond

GET OUR FREE LOCAL NEWSLETTER

Get the weekday email that actually makes reading local news enjoyable again.