Keep our beaches and water clean

A sincere "thank you" to the 50 volunteers who removed more than 350 pounds of debris and recycling from the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve beach as part of the annual Alliance for the Great Lakes' Adopt-a-Beach Cleanup program held on Sept. 15. Volunteers included members of the Friends of Fort Sheridan, Cub Scouts, Lake Forest High School teachers and students, the League of Women Voters of Highland Park and many others.

The Lake County Forest Preserve District's partnership in the clean-up project was crucial, providing equipment, staffing and trash removal -- all vital to making the cleanup successful. The most commonly found items of collected trash were bottle caps, food wrappers, cigarette butts and plastic straws; the primary items of recyclable items were plastic water bottles and soda cans. In addition, large debris, such as a door grill, broken chair pieces and steel rebar, were collected.

Before combing the shoreline for trash, volunteers learned about the three types of endangered plant species present on the beach and how to avoid harming them. The volunteers also diligently recorded each item of trash collected, and the data will be used as part of an international effort to identify the activities and general sources causing shoreline debris.

The Adopt-a-Beach program is sponsored by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, whose mission is to conserve and restore the world's largest freshwater resource using policy, education and local efforts, ensuring a healthy Great Lakes and clean water for generations of people and wildlife.

Thanks again to all the wonderful volunteers who exemplified the good stewardship needed to protect this local treasure and ensure the quality of our drinking water.

Anne Flanigan Bassi

Lake County Forest

Preserve Commissioner

Judy Johnston

League of Women Voters

of Highland Park