Enjoy the fireworks? Here’s how much debris Bellingham volunteers collected
Volunteers worked for about two hours Sunday morning to clean up fireworks debris from Locust Beach in Bellingham following the Fourth of July celebration.
Volunteers cleaned up beaches across the country, including 53 volunteers in Whatcom County who picked up around 168 pounds of trash from Locust Beach on Sunday, according to Seth Mangold, community engagement specialist with RE Sources, the Bellingham-based nonprofit that works with the Surfrider Foundation to keep Whatcom County beaches clean.
It was a higher-than-usual turnout of volunteers, according to Mangold, who said they usually see about 30-40 people show up. However, he said there was less trash to be picked up than usual. The group normally collects around 200-300 pounds of garbage each year.
RE Sources works with Surfrider on multiple beach cleanup projects each year, at beaches around Whatcom County. In February, RE Sources organized a cleanup of Locust Beach for Valentine’s Day.
The next beach cleanup event will be held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. July 18. RE Sources is partnering with the Community Boating Center for a summer Beach Sweep. Instead of driving directly to the beach, volunteers will kayak to beaches and collect debris from the coastline. It is $15 to register for the cleanup, and kayaks will be provided, although Mangold said people can bring their own boats.
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