August 14, 2009
OUR BEACHES NEED YOUR HELP!
Join Adventure Aquarium & Clean Ocean Partner
for 2009 NJ Beach Cleanup
Adventure Aquarium is once again diving into conservation and YOU'RE invited! Aquarium officials are encouraging volunteers to assist its staff with the 2009 Ventnor, NJ Beach Cleanup on Saturday, October 24th from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The Aquarium, which has partnered with Clean Ocean Action as part of its ongoing Fins for the Future conservation program, is the official sponsor of the 2009 Ventnor Beach Cleanup, which is essential in the fight against ocean pollution.
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 ingests 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! There is no registration required for this event. Interested volunteers will meet at 9:00 am at the Ventnor Public Library, located at 6500 Atlantic Avenue, and then proceed to the cleanup site, RAIN OR SHINE! For more information, volunteers can log onto www.AdventureAquarium.com and go to the Conservation page. Volunteers are encouraged to dress for the weather, bring work gloves, and wear closed, hard-soled shoes. All other supplies will be provided by Clean Ocean Action.
The trash collected during the beach cleanups is analyzed and the results are used to evaluate the sources of pollution and to educate citizens, businesses and corporations about debris found on New Jersey's shores. For information gathered from the 2008 NJ Beach Clean Up, visit www.cleanoceanaction.org.
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.
