Volunteers sought for beach clean up

The Alliance's annual Adopt-a-Beach Spring Kickoff is off and running with 10,000 volunteers in six states — Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin — clearing Great Lakes shorelines and monitoring water quality through Memorial Day.

Adopters have already scheduled 320 events for the 2012 season, 190 of them during the spring kickoff.

Volunteers improve beaches by picking up trash and monitoring water quality. These citizen scientists then log their data into the regional Adopt-a-Beach online system, where information about the types and sources of beach litter is cataloged, tracked and accessible to the public.

Beach adoption is easy and open to everyone. Groups can email the Alliance at adoptabeach@greatlakes.orggreatlakes.org/adoptabeach;http://www.greatlakes.org/adoptabeachThe Alliance has launched an effort to identify pollution sources and impairments in the hardest hit parts of the Great Lakes #8212; hot spots of beach closings and #8220;Areas of Concern#8221; targeted by the U.S. and Canada in light of water degradation from past pollution. "> to find our more about the program.See greatlakesadopt.org for information about public cleanup events scheduled around the Great Lakes. In Illinois and Indiana contact Katie Larson, klarson@greatlakes.org, (312) 939-0838 ext. 222.In 2011, participants removed 32,667 pounds of trash from Great Lakes shorelines and tributaries, translating to just over 4 pounds of trash per person.Adopt-a-Beach has come a long way since its origins as a volunteer beach cleanup and monitoring program on Lake Michigan. The program now improves all five Great Lakes and is helping local communities in myriad ways. A few examples:Alliance Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are working with park districts in Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee to find ways to reduce bird populations on shorelines. Seagulls, geese and other birds often congregate along shorelines where beachgoers have left behind litter and food