Nearly 200 volunteers joined in Friday to help scour the beach at the River to Sea Preserve near Marineland
Nearly 200 volunteers came from near and far Friday to scour the sand at a site often overlooked when beach cleanups take place: the River to Sea Preserve near Marineland
Julie Carter of Satsuma brought her grandson CJ from Palatka for their weekly "Help Friday" effort and they were pleased to take advantage of an opportunity to tour Marineland Dolphin Adventure at no cost, an offer made to all who volunteered.
"Today is 'Help Friday' for us, so we were looking for some place to help. We’re going to help for two hours, working, and then we’re going to play," Carter said, adding that free access to the attraction was a bonus. "I really want the opportunity to teach him how important it is to be thoughtful about his world, and to have some kind of reward for that instantly is very beneficial in teaching that lesson."
Gary Inks, the attraction’s vice president and general manager, has taken the initiative to reach out to the community with a number of public events designed to increase awareness of the 80-year-old property while also giving back to the community. He sees World Oceans Day and beach cleanups as an important part of the collaboration between the attraction and the public.
"We’re sending a strong message out, starting this year, to save our world ocean," said Inks. "Hundreds of folks, families and children are showing up to do their small part, whatever that may be, and right now we’re getting a lot of garbage from our beaches.
"We feel real good about what’s happening. People in this community care about the ocean and are showing that today," he said.
Hosting their first cleanup in the town of Marineland in conjunction with the attraction, Amy Lukasik, marketing director for the Flagler County tourism office, sees the need to protect the area’s beaches, especially after the damage done by two recent hurricanes. She is helping to steer educational efforts within the county's "Dodge the Dunes" campaign and beach cleanup events, including one set for July Fourth in Flagler Beach.
"People just want to do good, so we reached out to the public to create awareness for World Oceans Day and the cleanup and it’s an opportunity for people to be reintroduced to Marineland Dolphin Adventure as one of the thank you’s," said Lukasik. "A lot of people don’t know that Marineland is here and open or about the new programs and activities, so it’s a good way to kick off the summer."
She said last year tourism officials passed out trash bags during the Fourth of July celebration in Flagler Beach in an effort to get people to help curb the amount of trash left on the beach during the popular holiday event.
"Our beach is our number one asset," she said. "It’s the reason people come here and after Hurricane Matthew and the devastation, it’s part of our job to protect it."
More information about the July Fourth beach cleanup is online at visitflagler.com.