VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP
Help BTNEP celebrate National Estuaries Week by cleaning up our estuary!

THIBODAUX, LA – The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and Nicholls State University (NSU) are asking for volunteers for their upcoming beach cleanup at Elmer’s Island on Saturday, September 16, 2017.

The event, which will begin at 10am until 1pm, is being held in coordination with the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) and National Estuaries Week. The ICC is an annual global event that is coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy. The event is projected to clean approximately 1145 acres or 2.5 miles shoreline. The goal of the event is to increase the awareness of the problem of marine debris. The program hopes to make volunteers good stewards of estuaries.

Pre-registration to volunteer is required. Water will be provided, but participants are asked to bring refillable water bottles in order to reduce trash. Snacks and lunch will also be provided.

The purpose of National Estuaries Day, first observed in 1988, is to promote the importance of coastal environments where rivers meet the sea. Restore America’s Estuaries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, the Association of National Estuary Programs, and countless other organizations, associations, and agencies support National Estuaries Day.

For more information about the event, please contact Alma Robichaux at alma@btnep.org or call the BTNEP office at 985-447-0868. To register to volunteer, please fill out the form online.

View the original press release here.