Clean Ocean Access’ Earth Day cleanup proved to have a positive impact at Marine Avenue Beach and surrounding areas along the Cliff Walk in Newport. In less than two hours, 91 volunteers removed 260 pounds of marine debris. Their efforts were not confined to Marine Avenue Beach, as they ventured out and cleaned up Bailey’s Beach, Spouting Rock Road, Rovenski Park, and the fields of Salve Regina University. Compared to past cleanups on the Cliff Walk, this debris was relatively light. The litter mainly consisted of consumer based trash as oppose to lobster traps or ropes.
This realization can be leveraged to amplify the importance of changing our behaviors on land to improve ocean health. Within the past 10 years, COA has hosted total of 14 cleanups along the Cliff Walk and surrounding streets. With the help of 515 volunteers, they removed a total of 3,007 pounds of debris and litter from the Cliff Walk since 2007.
Earth Day marked the last weekend cleanup for COA until September. Throughout the summer, they host a beach cleanup every Wednesday at 5 p.m. at second beach, as part of their After5 Cleanup program. These events are likely to promote environmental stewardship and inspire others to take action today so future generations can enjoy ocean activities.
