GEORGETOWN

As part of the national Coastweek starting on Saturday, volunteers all along Maine’s coast will take part in the annual Maine Coastweek Coastal Cleanup.

“Clean oceans and coastal communities improve the health of humans and wildlife, and enhance local businesses that rely on a healthy ocean,” said Theresa Torrent, senior planner with the Maine Coastal Program. “Keeping our ocean free from trash is one of the easiest ways to make the ocean more resilient.”

The event is the single largest coordinated to clean trash from along the coast, with 2,002 volunteers removing 7,219 pounds of trash last year.

There are four organized efforts in the Midcoast, according to the Maine Coastal Program’s website.

“Even if people don’t join my group, they can always just bring a trash bag and start picking up trash at their nearest waterway whether it be a beach, a river, lake or pond. It’ll be just as rewarding,” said Mandy Kidney, who is organizing the Popham Beach effort for the third year in a row.

“It feels great to participate in something so big,” she added. “You never really realize just how much trash is left behind or washed up on the beach until you start picking it up, then you can’t not see it.”

Kidney will be gathering people at the state park’s parking lot at 1 p.m. on Sunday, where she’ll distribute trash bags and material to record collection information.

“I recommend people bring the following: utility or gardening gloves, a pocket or utility knife, a water bottle, sunscreen, a clipboard and a hat,” she said.

In Georgetown, volunteers will be at the transfer station from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., where they’ll weigh and measure trash that’s been collected before disposing of it responsibly.

“This material is recycled whenever possible,” said Jay Holt, who is an associate member of the Georgetown Conservation Commission and is organizing the Georgetown effort.

Everything from bottles to refrigerators are recycled somehow, and even lost lobster buoys that litter the coast are stored at the transfer station until they’re reclaimed.

“We usually place second or third in Maine in the amount of stuff collected,” said Holt. “The secret is most of the people here are summer rusticators, although some are year-round residents, and they collect all summer long from their beaches, from their rocks, and then they bring it in on Coastal Cleanup Day.”

To get involved in Coastal Cleanup week, contact the local coordinators in the Midcoast. More information can be found at mainecoastalprogram.org.

nstrout@timesrecord.com

Planned events

• FREEPORT, Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Sunday, Sept. 17, 9-11 a.m. Coordinator: David Plotkin. Contact: es.wolfesneckwoods@gmail.com

• GEORGETOWN, Georgetown shoreline and marshes, Sept. 23, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Coordinator: John (Jay) Holt. Contact: bay_ point_ road@yahoo.com

• PHIPPSBURG, Popham Beach State Park, meeting in parking lot, Sunday, Sept. 17, 1-4 p.m. Coordinator: Mandy Kidney. Contact Mkidney86@gmail.com

• RICHMOND, Peacock Beach State Park, Monday, Sept. 18, 5-6 p.m. Coordinator: Maggie Lynn. Contact: Margaret.l.m.lynn@gmail.com

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