Project AWARE: International Cleanup Day

Divers and water enthusiasts around the world celebrate the 20th Anniversary of International Cleanup Day on Saturday, 17 September. This cleanup event, with volunteers helping clean shoreline and underwater environments, is the largest single-day event of its kind.

Project AWARE Foundation, organizes the underwater portion of International Cleanup Day, in cooperation with the Ocean Conservancy - recognizing that divers are a vital part of the effort to remove aquatic debris and solve debris issues.

"As a diver, you see firsthand the devastating effects trash can have underwater. This rubbish contaminates habitat and harms aquatic life," states Dr. Drew Richardson, Chairman, Project AWARE Foundation. "Divers have the training and skills necessary to remove much of the debris found below the surface. The data divers collect, helps complete the overall picture of debris sources in an effort to resolve these issues."

This September hundreds of thousands of volunteers will answer the call and take action. During 2004's cleanup events, more than 300,000 people volunteered in 88 countries volunteered to remove nearly eight million pounds of debris. The top items collected both on land and underwater included cigarettes, beverage bottles, food wrappers and containers. The final tally for 2004 also included nearly 200 entangled animals – nearly half of which were tangled in discarded fishing line.

Why should you volunteer for this global cause? Debris is a consequence of everyone's actions – sixty percent of which results from shoreline and recreational activities. Cleanup volunteers realize that it's not just an event to pick up trash. Debris is a preventable problem. Data collected by each participant is used to educate public audiences and policy makers to influence change.

Join the 20 th Anniversary celebration and search the database of cleanup locations below to find an International Cleanup Day event near you.

Source: www.projectaware.org