Volunteers needed for beach cleanup at Ft. Sheridan preserve

Help clear a nearly 1-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline at Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve near Highland Park on Saturday, Sept 17, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Local workers will join thousands of other volunteers as part of the annual Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-a-Beach Cleanup, part of the International Coastal Cleanup.

The preserve entrance is on Sheridan Road at Old Elm Road and Simonds Way near Highland Park. Meet at the top of the stairs leading to the beach. Follow the trail from the parking lot to the meeting place. Bring your own work gloves and drinking water, if possible. Limited supplies will be available for those who do not have their own. Volunteers are welcome even if they cannot stay for the entire morning.

Jonathan Schlesinger, representing Plants of Concern, and Lake County Forest Preserve education and natural resource staff will supervise the Fort Sheridan cleanup effort and train volunteers on how to protect endangered plant species on the beach.

The event is led by Lake County Forest Preserve Commissioner Anne Flanagan Bassi, Schlesinger, Judy Johnston and Charla Reinganum of the Highland Park League of Women Voters and Nicole Patel.

“This is a chance to have fun giving back to the environmental treasures we all value and to show your children how important it is to keep our water clean,” Bassi said. “The information gathered is used to make positive changes for the natural resources we all rely on.”

Volunteers remove debris and record what they find. Collected trash will be weighed and tally data will be incorporated into a regional study to identify the activities and general sources causing Great Lakes shoreline debris.

In 2010, 7,006 volunteers removed 20,540 pounds of trash from beaches and shorelines in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

“The Great Lakes are home to some of the most beautiful beaches and shoreline areas in the world,” Bassi said. “It’s our responsibility to ensure their health.”

For questions about the cleanup, call Lake County Forest Preserves Environmental Educator Jennifer Sazama, (847) 968-3482, Anne Flanigan Bassi countyafb@comcast.net, or Jonathan Schlesinger atjschles2@gmail.com.