Beach Sweep set for Saturday

The City of Charleston’s Keep Charleston Beautiful is acting as a site captain for the annual Beach Sweep/River Sweep, hosting a cleanup along the Ashley River at the base of the Cosgrove Bridge in West Ashley.

To volunteer at the Cosgrove Bridge in West Ashley, show up ready to help on the 21st at 2:00 pm. All necessary supplies are provided. The cleanup is open to any interested volunteers; volunteers under 17 must have an adult with them.

Last year, during the 2012 River Sweep, 12 volunteers removed 23 bags of litter and 1 tire from the banks of the Ashley River. A total of 92 bags of litter have been collected during this annual sweep since Keep Charleston Beautiful began acting as a site captain in 2009.

Each year thousands of people participate in the statewide Sweep, South Carolina’s largest one-day litter cleanup of beaches, marshes and waterways. The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium and S.C. Department of Natural Resources organize the statewide event, which is held in conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. Anyone can participate – individuals, families, schools, youth groups, civic and conservation clubs and businesses.

Last year over 4,000 dedicated volunteers removed 20 tons of debris from 200 locations statewide. In the 24-year history of the Beach Sweep/River Sweep, nearly 1,120 tons of litter have been collected and recycled when possible.

For a list of additional coastal site captains and cleanup locations, visitwww.scseagrant.org. For a list of site captains and cleanup locations inland, visitwww.dnr.sc.gov/bsrs.