Protecting the beautiful marine environment by cleaning the beach of Tampa, Florida

Clean-up activities to protect the marine environment were carried out at the Courtney Campbell trail that connects Tampa, a port city in Florida, and Clearwater. Forty-two members of the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation (hereinafter referred to as “WeLoveU”) from Tampa and Fort Myers in the U.S., and thirteen students from Gannon University carried out the Clean WORLD Movement along the Courtney Campbell trail that is formed along the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

Courtney Campbell Causeway is a highway that traverses Old Tampa Bay. Its beautiful scenery make it a place where many people visit, take a vacation, and enjoy sightseeing. The blue sea facing the clear sky is so beautiful that it surely surprises viewers. However, when people walk along the Courtney Campbell trail, they often get a frown. It is because all kinds of trash got stuck in the cracks of the rocks by the sea. As time passes, it will have a negative impact on the marine ecosystem.

The WeLoveU members and the volunteers from Gannon University decided to protect the marine environment by cleaning up the beach. Thus, they gathered at the appointed place on the Courtney Campbell trail on April 18. From 10:30, they began to remove trash stuck in the rocks and all kinds of dirt that had been carried away by the sea. At first, they picked up the trash, using long tongs prepared in advance. However, they started to put down the tongs one by one and sat down on the rock or prostrated themselves on the rock and picked up the trash with their hands. It was to remove even the trash that was hard to see because it was stuck deep in the cracks of the rocks.

There were various kinds of trash that were filled up the beach: plastic, vinyl, fishing goods, quarantine gloves and face masks, soda bottles, cans, shoes, mattresses, tires, etc. The members couldn’t hide their bitterness because it was the end result of someone’s misbehaviors.

The Clean WORLD Movement lasted for two and a half hours until 13:00. The 3.2 km [2 mi]-long beach, where the members and students passed by, has become neat with a new and clean look. All the garbage collected that day weighed 388 kg [855 lbs]. The Councilor of Clearwater, who participated in the cleanup, enthusiastically supported the WeLoveU campaign, and Mayor Frank Hibbard of Clearwater asked the members to work with them for the next project as well. The citizens who were walking the trail too thanked the volunteers and cheered for their cleanup.

The members said that they would protect the beautiful marine environment through the continuous Clean WORLD Movement, and they hoped that many people would make effort to keep nature clean so that people and nature could coexist for a long time.