SEQUIM — About 135 volunteers had signed up as of Friday to help clean North Olympic Peninsula beaches in the 2017 International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday.
Washington CoastSavers Coordinator Jon Schmidt of Sequim hopes to see more join in the group’s fourth annual participation in the worldwide beach cleanup.
“It’d be awesome if we had 250” volunteers, he said.
Few people have signed up for beaches on the Strait of Juan de Fuca he said, although Ediz Hook is full.
“All our other beaches could use some volunteers,” he said.
Volunteers can select from among 16 beaches on the Strait — all considered easily accessible — and 22 Pacific Coast beaches from Neah Bay to Queets, eight of which are considered challenging.
Registration can be completed at www.coastsavers.org. The website also has information about when to check-in, what beaches will be cleaned and where to camp.
The timing of the tides will influence when volunteers report to work.
The Strait beaches will be cleaned in the morning and the outer coastal beaches will be cleaned in the afternoon.
Check-in will be from 9 a.m. to noon for the Strait beaches and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the Pacific Coast beaches.
The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is a global cleanup effort organized by the Ocean Conservancy with coordinators in some 100 nations and 36 states. Washington CoastSavers serves as cleanup coordinator in Washington state.
Trash found at ICC events will be counted and included in an annual index of global marine debris to be released in 2018.
CoastSavers has partnered with TerraCycle to turn some of the plastic material collected into shampoo bottles.
“This partnership really steps up our recycling game,” Schmidt said.
Surfrider Foundation chapters will offer food for volunteers at the Hobuck Campground in Neah Bay, the Three Rivers Fire Station at La Push, the Lost Resort at Ozette and the Schafer Beach approach at Westport.
Front-country camping in Olympic National Park at Kalaloch, Mora and Ozette campgrounds will be comped for registered volunteers Friday and Saturday night.
Back-country camping will be comped the same period of time at park beaches.
Washington CoastSavers is an alliance of partners and volunteers dedicated to keeping the state’s beaches clean of marine debris.
Founding members of CoastSavers include representatives of the Lions Club International, Discover Your Northwest, Surfrider Foundation, Grass Roots Garbage Gang, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Olympic National Park, and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
“Since 2007, their efforts have removed tens of tons of trash off the beach during the Washington Coast Cleanup which occurs in April every Earth Day weekend and the International Coastal Cleanup which is every third Saturday in September,” Schmidt said.
For answers to questions, contact Schmidt at jon@coastsavers.org.
