FOLLY BEACH, S.C. – Toby the Turtle and the South Carolina Aquarium collaborated with the City of Folly Beach for the fourth annual Spooktacular Beach Sweep, which combined Halloween fun with environmental stewardship.
Volunteers were given buckets, gloves, garbage pickers, and bags, as well as data sheets to record the various sorts of rubbish they gathered.
“It’s a little depressing to see how much trash we can pick up because it’s literally everywhere,” volunteer Ana Sofia Holmes said.
The South Carolina Aquarium uses data acquired during cleanups to identify problem areas and sources of pollution.
“We collect data during all of our cleanups, which helps us understand what the most problematic debris is and where the hotspots are,” Senior Manager of Conservation Kelly Thorvalson explained. “And once we have those numbers, we’re able to find the sources of that debris and have conversations to reduce the litter.”
Volunteers donned in costumes for the Halloween-themed event, with one dressed as Santa.
“Who doesn’t smile when they see Santa, right? “I know who’s been naughty and nice, and I added two more people to the naughty list after picking up some garbage today,” volunteer Darryl Strack said.
Residents gained an understanding of the environmental consequences during the cleanup process.
“Very eye-opening to do this because as a resident, you realize how much trash we generate,” volunteer Stacy Bizzell said. “And it makes you very aware of throwing everything away instead of on the ground after you do this.”
The most often discovered items were cigarette butts, straws, and cans.
In honor of their efforts, local businesses provided volunteers with discounts.
“What better way to demonstrate the importance of litter pick-up than with a loggerhead turtle? “Not only for marine and wildlife, but also for human and domestic life,” Vanessa Oltmann, a.k.a. Toby the Turtle, stated.
“It’s really fun because it’s the whole community’s out and we’re doing something good, cleaning up the beach and the streets,” Bizzell told me.
The South Carolina Aquarium will use the data gathered during the event to determine the most troublesome litter types and guide future environmental preservation initiatives.
