Get Involved

COASTSWEEP

How to Get Involved

With more than 1,500 miles of shoreline to clean we need your help! Please join us in 2012 as a:

Listen to this interiew about COASTSWEEP on the Commonwealth Journal with CZM's Robin Lacey to learn more about the program.

Cleanup Coordinator

Cleanup coordinators are people who organize a cleanup event. Sites can include a local beach, bay, estuary, pond, lake, marsh, seafloor, riverbank, or even an underwater site (certified divers only, please). In addition to choosing a site, the cleanup coordinators also determine the date, time, and duration of the cleanup event.

Cleanup coordinators are welcome to schedule their events for any day throughout September and October. COASTSWEEP staff will work with each cleanup coordinator to make sure he/she has all of the assistance and supplies necessary for a safe and successful cleanup. The COASTSWEEP staff will also work with all coordinators to ensure that the necessary permits and liability waivers are signed. All supplies will be sent to you, including garbage bags, gloves, data cards, captain reports, and any other materials required for a successful cleanup.

As a cleanup coordinator, you can put together your own team consisting of family members, students, classmates, co-workers, or any other people you may wish to invite. If you are organizing a public cleanup, we can help you recruit volunteers. Please let COASTSWEEP staff know if your cleanup is not open to the public.

COASTSWEEP staff can also help you solicit donations from within your local community and can assist with the logistics of your event, including how to dispose of the debris your team collects.

If you would like to be a cleanup coordinator and organize your own cleanup, please fill out the Cleanup Coordinator Response Form (Word, 50 KB). Once you have signed up, see the cleanup coordinators' page.

Volunteer

Not up for organizing your own cleanup? Then simply volunteer at a cleanup. Volunteers have two very important responsibilities. First, volunteers will remove trash and debris from the designated cleanup site. Second, they record the types and quantities of trash and debris removed. This data will be used to better understand what types of materials are littering the beaches all over the world. To volunteer, see the Cleanup Lists page, select a public cleanup, and contact the cleanup coordinator to let him/her know you are coming.

Sponsor

COASTSWEEP relies on the support of sponsors to help make the program a great success. Financial contributions and in-kind donations help us show our appreciation for all of the hard work done by the volunteers and cleanup coordinators. Donations also help make sure that volunteers have adequate supplies needed for a safe and productive cleanup.

See the Sponsors page for information about COASTSWEEP sponsorship opportunities.