Volunteers sought for clean up at beaches

The Alliance for the Great Lakes is looking for help in its fight against beach litter.

In the past, thousands of volunteers have participated in the group's annual Adopt-a-Beach Clean Up, said to be the world's largest shoreline effort.

Those who have joined the effort in the past are being asked back and newcomers are being sought as well.

This year's event is from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 15 in four of the eight Great Lakes states: Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana.

Volunteers do more than pick up litter, however. Their findings are entered into a database, which is used in the Alliance's clean beaches education campaign to help deal with the beach litter problem at its source.

The effort began in 1991, when the Alliance was asked by the Ocean Conservancy to coordinate the Midwest effort.

"As a result of that we had so much response from our volunteers that we set up the Adopt a Beach Clean Up," said Illinois coordinator Frances Canonizado.

Last year, 1,742 volunteers hauled away more than 6,500 pounds of trash from more than 27 miles of Illinois shoreline. Beach litter is not only unsightly but can be dangerous, according to the Alliance, as children can play with cigarette butts, fish become entangled in balloons and birds get their beaks trapped in discarded food packaging.

Communities and park districts also are part of the effort and the effort is spreading. This marks the second year of clean up in northwest Indiana and the third year in southeast Wisconsin. There are more than two dozen sites in the Chicago area and several in Lake County, including highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Waukegan.

Every site has a lead volunteer or coordinator along with sign up sheets and supplies.

Those who want to volunteer are encouraged to register at www.greatlakesadopt.org or for more information visit www.greatlakes.org.