The V.I. Dept. of Planning and Natural Resources announced Monday that it successful completed the "Street to Reef World Oceans Day Cleanup" which took place Friday, June 11 on St. Croix in Frederiksted.
The cleanup was planned by D.P.N.R.'s Divisions of Coastal Zone Management and Environmental Enforcement with a goal of removing debris from the street, beach, and marine habitats of Frederiksted in celebration of World Oceans Day, D.P.N.R. said.
The cleanup was attended by a total of 37 volunteers including representatives from the Divisions of Environmental Enforcement, Coastal Zone Management, Fish and Wildlife, and the Commissioner’s Office within DPNR. Teams included 7 Certified SCUBA divers accompanied by 7 snorkelers underwater, and 21 community volunteers leading the efforts on land!
A 20-ft garbage bin from VI Waste Management Authority was filled with debris. The most common items collected on land and underwater were directly related to food and beverage consumption, with aluminum cans standing out with 135 collected underwater and 65 on land, D.P.N.R. said. Single use plastics dominated above and below land which included 132 plastic bottle caps, 67 plastic utensils, 89 yards of fishing line, and 230 broken up plastic pieces accounting for nearly half of the debris collected.
D.P.N.R. extended gratitude to the VI Waste Management Authority, Adventures in Diving, volunteers, and the Frederiksted community "for making this cleanup a resounding success."
If you would like to partner with DPNR on a future cleanup, contact Kitty Edwards at [email protected].
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