THIBODAUX, La. — Nicholls State University invites you to help clean up the coast as part of the Ocean Conservancy’s 32nd annual International Coastal Cleanup Day and National Estuary Week.
Nicholls, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will host a Cleanup event on Elmer’s Island on Saturday, Sept. 15.
Cleanup will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. Volunteers will remove, categorize and weigh trash and debris collected from approximately two-and-a-half miles of shoreline. Data collected from the Cleanup will be sent to the Ocean Conservancy and included in their annual report, which will be released in the spring.
Last year, 200 volunteers – including 42 students, faculty and staff from Nicholls – collected more than 4,000 pounds of debris and waste. Included in the 15,814 items collected were 3,441 plastic bottles, 2,246 small plastic pieces and an 80-pound tarball.
“That data will provide useful insight into ways we can reduce the problematic trend of pollution on the shoreline and plastics in our waterways,” said Dr. Allyse Ferrara, Jerry Ledet Endowed Professor of Environmental Biology.
Volunteers are asked to wear closed-toe shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Ferrara and event officials will supply data sheets, clipboards and provide a light lunch. In an effort to reduce waste, volunteers are asked to bring a bucket to collect debris and reusable water bottles.
To register, visit https://form.jotform.com/82196102208147. Registrations are due by Monday, Sept. 10. Volunteers under 18 must have a guardian present and sign a waiver on the day of the Cleanup.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 5, 2018
CONTACT: Jacob Batte, Media Relations and Publications Coordinator, 985.448.4141 or jacob.batte@www.nicholls.edu
