Sept. 16, 2008 – Salt-Gallery.com, will organize a beach clean-up from 9 a.m. to noon, on Sunday, Sept. 28, at Columbus Landing, followed by a short walk at 12:30 pm of the Taino ball court, guided by Brian Updike, a pre-Columbian scholar and Salt River kayaker.
The beach clean-up is a part of the Coastweeks effort starting Sept. 20, which is spearheaded nationally by the Ocean Conservancy.
"We should be encouraging a sensible disposal of our waste. Instead, we leave it behind on our beaches," said Tomas Lanner, founder of Salt-Gallery.com, a local art agency consisting of an online digital gallery and brokerage. Lanner would like to encourage other small business owners to promote a change in the community’s attitude towards trash. His company is also involved in a collaboration with Walsh Metal Works Gallery and U.K. underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor to establish a creative artificial reef in the waters of St. Croix.
The debris that is picked up is counted and put into categories, so each participant will have a data card and make note of what they find. The information gathered during Coastweeks provides a picture of what debris lands on the territory's beaches and, in many cases, where it originates. "Since people were responsible for the beach debris in the first place, it's up to them to remove it" said Marcia Taylor, St. Croix Coastweeks coordinator and marine advisor at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix campus. During Coastweeks cleanups, people scour the beaches for debris. Schools, groups and individuals participate.
Participants should wear a hat, bring a swimsuit, gloves, extra sunscreen and water, and wear shoes suitable for a mild bush walk. So they can get a headcount for refreshments, contact Tomas Lanner at 514-6664 or [email protected]
If you have further questions about the Coastweeks effort, or to volunteer, call Kristin Maize at 779-4940 on St. John, Marcia Taylor at 692-4046, on St. Croix or Lihla Noori at 693-1392, on St. Thomas.