St. Lucie County Launches Beach Basket Cleanup Stations at Three Beach Parks April 9
- LUCIE COUNTY – Trash and debris on public beaches is not only an eyesore, it creates hazards for local wildlife and marine life. To help reduce beach debris, St. Lucie County is partnering with Coastal Connections, Inc. to install Beach Basket Cleanup Stations at three St. Lucie County beach parks. County staff will kick off this six-month pilot program on Saturday, April 9 at 9 a.m. at Pepper Park Beach. Everyone is invited to attend.
Beach Baskets will first be placed at three St. Lucie County beaches, including Pepper Park, Blind Creek Beach and Dollman Beach. Each new Beach Basket station will feature three grocery-style baskets for beachgoers to use when picking up trash and debris from the beaches. Stations will also feature a scale and QR code to measure and report the amount of trash picked up at each location, for those wanting to track their impact.
Keeping beaches debris-free is extremely important this time of year as sea turtle nesting season runs from March 1 through Nov. 15. Hutchinson Island is an important nesting area for endangered and threatened sea turtle species including the Loggerhead, Leatherback, and Green Sea Turtle. During the 2021 nesting season, St. Lucie County incubated 2,619 nests – a 7.5% increase compared to 2020. Sea turtles are currently fighting for a conservation success story, and it will take all of us to make sure that story has a happy ending.
If this program is determined successful and cost-effective at engaging residents and visitors in beach cleanups, following the six-month pilot program, St. Lucie County’s Environmental Resources and Parks & Recreation Departments will look to expand this program to other beach parks throughout St. Lucie County.
PUBLIC EVENT DETAILS
DATE: Saturday, April 9
TIME: 9 a.m.
LOCATION: Pepper Park Beach, 3375 N A1A on North Hutchinson Island
St. Lucie County Beach Basket Pilot Locations:
Pepper Park – 3375 N A1A, North Hutchinson Island
Blind Creek – 5460 South Ocean Drive, South Hutchinson Island
Dollman Beach – 9200 South Ocean Drive, South Hutchinson Island