March 9, 2009
JOIN ADVENTURE AQUARIUM AND CLEAN OCEAN ACTION FOR 2009 SPRING BEACH SWEEPS!
WHEN: Saturday, April 25th 2009
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM (Volunteers Meeting at 8:45 am)
WHERE: Ventnor Beach at Newport
*Volunteer are to park at the Ventnor Public Library and meet at the gazebo near the Library and playground by 8:45 am, where Adventure Aquarium staff will distribute supplies and instructions.
WHAT TO BRING: Yourself and your friends! Please wear closed-toed, hard-soled shoes. Dress for the weather, as Beach Sweeps will occur rain or shine. Remember, it can be chilly on the beach on an April morning! And, don't forget your sunscreen!
Did you know that it can take up to five years for cigarette butts to biodegrade, and up to 600 years for fishing line? Every year, millions of pieces of trash end up along the New Jersey shore lines. This trash does more than just ruin the aesthetic of our beautiful beaches - it poses a real threat to native wildlife that become entangled in trash or accidentally ingest it.
"Debris on our beaches like cigarette butts, plastic bottles, plastic bags and fishing line are an imminent threat to our local wildlife," said Beach Sweep Captain Hannah Evans, a Marine Biologist at Adventure Aquarium, Camden, NJ. "Litter often looks like food to local animals like fish, turtles, seals and birds, which then accidentally ingest them - often with deadly consequences."
"By inspiring area residents to, first and foremost, not litter, but also to support events like local beach sweeps, we hope to help protect our local beaches and wildlife," said Evans, "so that future generations of both animals and humans will be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the Jersey Shore."
If you would like to help save the lives of New Jersey's native marine life and help protect our ocean environment, please join Adventure Aquarium and Clean Ocean Action on Saturday April 25th at Ventnor beach for Clean Ocean Action's 24th Annual Spring Beach Sweeps!
If you have any questions, would like directions, or would like to volunteer and register a group of Beach Sweep volunteers, please contact Hannah Evans via email at hevans@adventureaquarium.com.
