Let’s make International Coastal Clean-Up Day a month-long event!

Dear Friends and Ocean-Lovers,

Join us in making September a safe Coastal Clean-Up month! Each year, International Coastal Clean-Up Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of September.

On this day, people around the world participate in cleaning up beaches, rivers, streams, and other waterways.Why? It’s because our wild animal friends need clean waterways, and so do we! This year, our oceans need us more than ever; but due to Covid-19, we must do clean-ups safely. Imagine how much we can do if we all participate!

Below are some ideas from our friends at the Ocean Conservancy about how to SAFELY clean-up and reduce trash in our waterways. With social distancing, face masks, and working individually or in small groups, we make a difference— AND stay safe!

Let’s begin with a song! Watch our video, sing along, and get inspired to keep our oceans clean! Teachers and parents: To deepen the learning, we have an interactive and printable companion lesson for this song for Grades K-2!

With love for the ocean and each of you,
Birdsong

Here’s what our friends at The Ocean Conservancy recommend for safe coastal clean-ups:
Cover your mouth and nose with a mask or face covering when around others
Wear protective gloves during a cleanup and avoid touching your face. Wear work or gardening gloves that can be washed and reused are a great option, but at the very least, wear rubber gloves to protect against germs and sharp or abrasive trash items.
Maintain distance between yourself and other people outside of your home.
Never pick up any trash items that you do not feel comfortable touching.
Visit The Ocean Conservancy to learn more great ways to help create a trash free ocean, including things you can do from home! They also have a cool app you can use to record the kinds of trash you find on the beach.