Wednesday, November 4, 2026
A big thanks to the beach cleanup sponsors from the JW Marriott and Boucher Brothers. They started their cleanup at 7:00 AM and met up with the group at South Beach at 8:00 AM.
Dedicated August 8 Beach Cleanup volunteers with grabbers, ready to work the beach!
A big thanks to beach cleanup sponsor from iTRIP with Mark and Sarah Morze and team!
Thank you, Anthony Filippini, a daily beach walker and beach cleanup supporter. He’s got another big load from under the Winterberry Boardwalk.
The August beach cleanup collected over 150 pounds of trash with Nathaniel O’Donnell (MICA board member), Chris Ricci (BACR), and John Quinlan (BACR) loading up the ATV.
A dedicated group of 35+ beach volunteers gathered atthe South Beach boardwalk entrance on August 8, ready to take part in a monthly cleanup to remove harmful trash items and protect marine life. Though it is several weeks shy of National Beach Day, what better way for the volunteers to promote awareness of beach conservation than with a community beach cleanup. National Beach Day was established in August 2014 to encourage people to enjoy the beach while also protecting it for future generations by joining groups for beach cleanups and other beach-relatedconservation efforts.
August is a brutal month in Southwest Florida with average highs around 90°F (32°C), and the humidity levels are also high, often exceeding 70%, contributing to a very muggy feel. There is always the threat of morning or afternoon thunderstorms, typically occurring almost daily.
Even with an overcast morning and a shelf cloud forming over the Gulf, signaling the potential of a thunderstorm, volunteers from the community and regular morning beach walkers joined the beach cleanup along with community beach sponsors from iTRIP, JW Marriott, and Boucher Brothers. Big thanks to all participants - together it was another big haul of 150 pounds of trash removed from the beach.
Common trash items removed are plastic bags, food wrappers, aluminum cans, broken glass,Styrofoam food containers, diapers (yuck),and toys.
Uncommon items are monofilament fishing lines and kite strings, which were found tangled in the dune vegetation. These discarded items can easily entangle an unfortunate shorebird foraging for food.
Benefits of Beach Cleanups:
Helps protect marine life by removing harmful debris from entering the Gulf.
Clean beaches ensure that everyone is safe to enjoy the beach.
Marco’s pristine beach is a major destination and economic draw contributing to the local economy.
Beach cleanups foster a strong sense of community pride and environmental engagement.
Sea Turtles dig a clean beach to nest.
The month of August is summer’s grand finale,and as you celebrate National Beach Day, grab your favorite beach towel, sunscreen, hat, and water bottle, and as you enjoy a peaceful morning beach walk or a run, celebrate the beauty of our beach and the numerous wildlife that call our beaches home,protecting them for generations to come!
Once again, a big thanks to partner and sponsor, Marco Island Civic Association (MICA), and toboard memberNathaniel O’Donnell for driving their ATV to the beach cleanup to assist with the heavy trash items and for allowing beach cleanup volunteers to park at the Swallow AvenueMICA Sarazen Park. Also, a shout-out to Marco Island Officer Ed Barrios for stopping by with his truck – just in case the volunteers needed help!
Monthly beach cleanups are organized by Marco’s Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee (BACR), and they provide the bags, gloves, buckets, and grabbers for use by beach cleanup volunteers. If you would like to sponsor a Beach Cleanup in 2027, please reach out to AStonik@cityofmarcoisland.com.
Next Scheduled Beach Cleanup will be October 18, 2026, at 8:00 AM at Residents Beach, sponsored by MICA, Our Daily Bread Food Pantry (ODBFP), and Marco Island Academy’s Key Club.
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