VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Instead of just hanging out at the beach this morning, Stephanie Turco dedicated her time to volunteering with Volusia County in cleaning up the beach at Winterhaven Park in Ponce Inlet.
“I found a lot of, like, hard pieces, I guess it would be the plugs that would go in the fireworks,” Turco told News 6.
She and her friends walked up and down the beach armed with tongs and garbage bags.
It’s part of the county’s ongoing Keep Volusia Beautiful initiative. From plastic water bottles to leftover debris from last night’s Fourth of July fireworks, the volunteers had plenty to keep them busy.
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Michael Nahirny, a Volusia County management specialist focused on recycling education, is leading this cleanup effort.
“They picked up about 50 pounds worth of used fireworks that were all over the beach,” he said. “The litter can definitely be a hazard to the local wildlife and to the resident turtles and marsh rabbits alike. Both are looking for food out there, and sometimes they can’t tell the difference between garbage and something that’s potentially edible. They see something colorful, like a piece of plastic or some food packaging or bits of fireworks, and they think, ‘Oh, this looks tasty.’ Then they eat it and the worst happens.”
Volunteers are encouraged to continue participating in cleanup initiatives. Nahirny invites the community to join the next major volunteer event, the International Coastal Cleanup, scheduled for late September. This event takes place at about two dozen parks and beaches across Volusia County and is part of a national and global effort.
Residents interested in volunteering can get more information by calling 386-943-7889.