Over 1,500 Volunteers to participate in LPBF’s 22nd Annual Beach Sweep presented by Toyota

OVER 1,500 VOLUNTEERS TO PARTICIPATE IN LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN FOUNDATION’S 22nd ANNUAL BEACH SWEEP

Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation’s 22nd Annual Beach Sweep presented by Toyota is scheduled for Saturday, September 17th from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon throughout the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. This year’s theme is “Trash Free Lake.” For the past 22 years, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) has locally organized the annual cleanup in the Basin as part of the International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by Ocean Conservancy.

“This year we have registered over 1,500 volunteers. We are excited by the wonderful response from companies, school groups, civic groups and individuals who want to help out. Although registration is closed we encourage individuals to participate in our united effort by going out into their neighborhood streets to clean street gutters and storm drains this Saturday morning,” states JoAnn Burke, LPBF’s Beach Sweep Coordinator.

Volunteers will be working in Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany Parishes and in Baton Rouge. Cleaning efforts in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes will be in neighborhoods and along the lakefront. A new pilot program will have groups placing a limited number of markers on storm drains to remind the public to dump no waste as it will drain to the lake. On the north shore, waterways and roadways in Covington, Lacombe, Mandeville, Madisonville, and Slidell will be included. Following the sweep, several picnics will be held to host media and registered volunteers.

Debris that is picked up by volunteers will be recorded on data cards by zone captains to quantify the amount of trash that is collected. This data is gathered by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and then forwarded to The Ocean Conservancy to be included in their master database of marine debris for 2011.

As the public’s independent voice, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation is dedicated to restoring and preserving the water quality, coast, and habitats of the entire Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Through coordination of restoration activities, education, advocacy, monitoring of the regulatory process, and citizen action, LPBF works in partnership with all segments of the community to reclaim the Basin for this and future generations.

For more information, please contact JoAnn Burke, LPBF Beach Sweep Coordinator, at joann@saveourlake.org or (504) 836-2238.