Keep Lee County Beautiful fights against marine debris
Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc. (KLCB) hosted its annual “Monofilament Madness” marine cleanup on Oct. 26, continuing its fight against marine debris. Since 1991, KLCB has dedicated this event to removing monofilament fishing lines and other trash from the mangrove areas.
Volunteers set out on boats, kayaks, and paddleboards from Salty Sam’s Marina and The Mound House to tackle debris scattered by recent hurricanes. The storms carried trash bins, buckets, wood, and even large items like a sleeper sofa into the mangroves. Paddlers removed litter from the mangroves, passing bulky items to boaters for transport. The cleanup effort included volunteers combing the mangrove area on Mango Street on Fort Myers Beach, collecting hard-to-reach debris left by Hurricane Ian. Due to recent storms, KLCB also organized a Fort Myers Beach cleanup launching from the Tunaskin Store.
The event drew over 150 volunteers who removed an impressive 25,000 pounds of debris from the waterways, beaches, and mangroves of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. Following the cleanup, volunteers enjoyed an appreciation lunch and after-party at Parrot Key in Salty Sam’s Marina to celebrate their hard work and dedication.
Keep Lee County Beautiful is planning more waterway cleanups and encourages everyone to join in preserving Southwest Florida’s beautiful waters and protecting its marine environment. To support these efforts, visit KLCB.org to donate. Every contribution, no matter the size, stays 100% local, directly benefiting Lee County.
KLCB extends heartfelt gratitude to all the dedicated volunteers and generous sponsors who made this event possible including Tunaskin Aquatic Apparel, SWFAEP, Bass Pro, Ron Jons Surf Shop, Surfing Evolution & Preservation Foundation, Waste Pro, WM, Town of Fort Myers Beach, Lee County Solid Waste, LCEC, Southwest Waste Services, Salty Sam’s Marina, Estero Bay Buddies, Coastal Waste & Recycling, The Mound House, Sea Tow, Keep Florida Beautiful, and Keep America Beautiful.
About Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc.
Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc., established in 1989, is the county’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This local nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. For more information, call 239-334-3488 or visit KLCB.org.
Follow on Facebook @KLCBInc or Instagram keepleecountybeautifulfl.