Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful
Apr 21, 2023
Volunteering is an exceptional way to give back to the community and make a positive impact on the environment. Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful is a non-profit organization that provides numerous volunteering opportunities to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Tampa Bay area. This includes organizing clean-up events to remove litter from local beaches and waterways, such as the Hillsborough River, Tampa's Riverwalk, Port Tampa Bay, Sparkman Channel, Ybor Channel, McKay Bay, East Bay, Hillsborough Bay, Marjorie Park Marina (Davis Island), Garrison Channel (between Harbour Island and Amalie Arena) and Seddon Channel (between Harbour Island and Davis Island).
Recently, our Co-founder, Ronda Clement, had the privilege of participating in the 3rd Annual Great Port Cleanup 2023, after being invited by friends from Palmetto Beach Line Handlers which is a company that provides professional line handling and maritime services to ships that call on the Tampa, Florida port. Working together with more than 600 volunteers, they pitched in to collect and sort out a wide range of trash items including plastic /glass bottles, plastic bags, straws, styrofoam and fishing line. (In 2022, volunteers collected more than 36,000 pounds of trash.)
During the two-hour work shift, Ronda personally collected six large bags of trash and witnessed volunteers removing larger items such tires, blankets, grill and boating parts from the mangroves near Licata Bridge on BUS 41/Tamiami Trail. When Ronda asked volunteers how this litter accumulated, the response was, "It comes from the high tides pushing the trash ashore day after day."
This story received widespread coverage from various media outlets, but here is a video from 10 Tampa Bay reporter Malique Rankin which gives a great perspective from volunteers as well as Chris Cooley, Environmental Affairs at Port Tampa Bay.
Ronda stated, "Participating in the Great Port Cleanup 2023 was a profound experience for me, as it highlighted the devastating effects of improper trash disposal. It's clear that we need to do better, and we can do better. However, the cleanup event also showcased what makes Tampa so exceptional—the unwavering commitment and passion of its people to make a positive impact on the environment. Witnessing the hard work and dedication of so many volunteers was truly inspiring and heartwarming. I felt privileged to be a part of it and gained a new perspective on the importance of environmental conservation."
At Quant Fusion we're all about "the data." This news story wouldn't be complete without the data behind this effort:
32 sites
851 volunteers
1,877 Bags of trash
79,698 lbs of debris / garbage removed
30,000 lbs of invasives removed
To get involved with Tampa Bay Beautiful's volunteering opportunities, check out their website to learn about their upcoming events, initiatives, and sponsorship programs. It's worth noting that individuals, groups and businesses can all take part, so there are plenty of ways to get involved and make a difference in the Tampa Bay community.
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