Steve Jasiecki/Margate Beach Sweep 2019.
MARGATE – Five Students from Mainland Regional High School have planned an end of summer beach sweep this coming Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Margate Public Works usually hosts at least two beach sweeps a year where volunteers walk the beaches collecting trash and record their findings on data cards. The information garnered from the data cards categorizes and quantifies the different types of trash that end up on the beaches and ultimately in the oceans. The data identifies sources, monitors trends and is used in legislation to pass bills that will reduce the waste entering our oceans. Unfortunately, these sweeps were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Margate resident and Mainland Regional High School student John Alice and four of his classmates, Chloe Wagner, Michael Perlman, Michael Leiderman and Angie Claveria thought it would be a good idea to fill in this gap by performing their own end of summer beach sweep. They are coordinating their sweep with Margate’s Recycling Coordinator Anthony Edge and the Sustainable Margate Green Team. The Public Works Department will pick up the trash at the end of the day and is providing the students with gloves, bags, data cards and pencils.
The students welcome anyone who wishes to join them. They ask that everyone please observe the social distancing protocols. Volunteers will meet at 10 a.m. on the beach at Granville Avenue behind the Margate Public Library.
Margate has beach rakes that pick up the majority of trash that ends up on the beach. The more difficult areas that can use the extra help are along the bulkheads and edges of the sand dune.
The students, who have a deep appreciation of the environment, thought it will be a fitting way to end the summer by helping the town with their volunteer service.
