This document summarizes the history and impact of the International Coastal Cleanup, which began in 1986 when a staff person organized a beach cleanup in Texas. It has since grown to engage over half a million volunteers annually across 100 countries. The event was brought to Monroe County, New York in 1993 by an eight-year-old girl who wanted to clean up the local beach. Since then, hundreds of volunteers have participated annually in Monroe County, collecting thousands of pounds of trash. The young founder has continued coordinating the local cleanup efforts into adulthood to protect the local coastline.

1. International Coastal Clean Up

2. was established in 1986, when a staff person from the
Ocean Conservancy decided to take action to clean the
litter from the shores of South Padre Island, Tex.

3. Grocery bags...bottles...cigarette butts...wrappers and
straws. They don’t fall from the sky; they fall from
human hands. And what's washed up on the shore is
only a fraction of what is in the water. From Baltimore
to Bangladesh, Ocean Conservancy leads the world's
largest volunteer effort for the ocean. Every year in
September, more than half-a-million people in 100
countries remove millions of pounds of trash from
beaches and waterways all over the world. Over the last
quarter-century, the International Coastal Cleanup has
grown from a single cleanup on a Texas beach to a
worldwide movement to end the threat of trash in our
ocean.

4. The event was brought to Monroe County in
1993 through the ambitions of a young lady
(eight years old), then part of a 4-H club, the
West Irondequoit Green Keepers. She came
home from her volunteer job at the local
library’s summer reading program and
announced her desire to “clean up our
beach.”

5. “The Ocean Conservancy is setting the agenda in the halls of power. Their legacy continues
today as they translate threats into sound, practical policies that protect our ocean and
improve our lives. They recognize that real leadership means real cooperation — between
governments, businesses, scientists, policymakers, conservation organizations, and citizen
advocates. With your help, they will continue to create concrete solutions that lead to
lasting change.”
This young lady had read about the
Ocean Conservancy and their
efforts to engage others to clean
litter from their local shorelines.

6. She also understood (from the very beginning) the
importance of the collected trash being properly
categorized and recorded on the data cards provided by the
Ocean Conservancy. This data, once compiled can and has
been used to support proposed legislation for
environmental protection.

8. Although the first year only brought out seven
other volunteers, this humble beginning …
was just the beginning.

9. Her goal has always been two-fold. She wanted to
clean up the litter and educate her community.
Following the very first cleanup this young lady
began to plan for the next year. She and her sisters
often went to public education venues (like the one
you are at today) to share their enthusiasm for
environmental protection.

10. This picture is their “Wall of Trash.” Built from post-consumer pizza
boxes and the actual trash picked up on Durand Beach in September of
1993. They would go on to staff their own booth at many local events.

11. 1994 – 1997 the event grew
each year and by 1997 it also
included a live broadcast from
Lori Baister (WMAX) and
scuba volunteers from the
WMAX Green Team.

13. In 1998, this dedicated young lady reached out to a variety of
local organizations/businesses to provide food and beverages for
a morning snack and eventually an entire Trash Bash.
By 1999, the Trash Bash came to include prizes for the most, best,
grossest etc. as well as lunch for all the volunteers.

14. 2004
1,036 volunteers
picked up over
10,137 pounds of
trash from 26
miles of local
shoreline

15. 2006
Over 10,175
volunteers
removed over
272,157 pounds of
debris in New York
state alone!

16. 2008
716 volunteers
picked up over
5,000 pounds of
trash from eight
County shoreline
sites.

17. 2009
740 volunteers
picked up 3,310
pounds of trash
from 28 miles of
Lake Ontario
shoreline.

18. 2010
481 volunteers
picked up over
3,500 pounds of
trash, along the
lakeshore in
Monroe County

22. STOP!
Yes, it's a beautiful day, the waves cozy up to lavish the shore,
the sun drives on to the tunes of the radio, we’re so fab when we’re driving...so
STOP!
Out the window to the beautiful day went your wrappers, your cups, your cigarette butts...
STOP!
Because somewhere...else…someone...else…someplace…else…will pick up your castaways
STOP!
That bird from pecking up food, beak wrapped up with plastic and worm,
the duck, with the six-pack too quacked up to speak.
the scrawny tailed squirrel, with tinfoil to cheek,
the chipmunk who exchanged an acorn for litter
will be cold and hungry for all of the winter
STOP!
Your trash from floating… neon, food bits for a fish
who ingests only particles of a “yummy” dish
STOP!
So we can count ONE LESS butt,
one less piece to record on the counter side up
STOP!
on our data cards, for the Coastal Clean-Up.
Can’t you try to--
STOP!

23. Jamie Romeo has been instrumental in bringing the coastal cleanup
effort to our local shoreline and continues to be a diligent watchdog,
protecting its integrity by keeping the International Coastal Cleanup as
the grassroots effort it was intended to be. She works tirelessly to reach
out to businesses in both the public and private sector for in-kind
support, continuing to provide beach-side breakfast, gloves and bags to
hundreds of volunteers each year. Jamie signs off on her e-mail notes
with “Stay True to You” and just under her electronic signature she
shares this quote
"One person can make a difference, but everyone should try." -JFK