A Clean Coast Serves Humans and Wildlife Alike

9/6/07 – All Rhode Islanders are invited to show their love of our coast, its beaches and offshore waters, by volunteering with the Audubon Society of Rhode Island to tally and pick up trash during the International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 15, from 9 a.m. to noon.  Volunteers can choose one of the many sites statewide and then contact the appropriate leader for details.

In total, 80 cleanup sites will send teams onto the beaches for the annual cleanup, sponsored by Audubon Society and The Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C..  Many of the sites are staffed by college and high school classes, scout troops, or other integrated groups.  The sites listed below welcome the general public to help count each piece of trash and bag it.

The information collected by tallying each piece of trash is used in advocacy for beneficial policies.  Testimony before the R.I. General Assembly and governmental agencies provides data for effective policy.  Cigarette butts, the most prevalent item in past surveys, equal double the second most numerous item - food bags.

Litter left on the beach washes into the ocean where wildlife may consume it, mistaking it for food, or where it may entangle wildlife or attract predators.  Litter obviously damages the beauty of the shore.

Volunteers may contact Audubon at 949-5454 ext. 3003 or 3044 for additional information.  The International Coastal Cleanup’s success relies on the donation of time from people willing to give a Saturday morning and to the “beach captains” who give hours beyond Saturday morning to organize the local event.

This year’s coastal cleanup is co-sponsored by ABC 6, BJ’s, RI Resource Recovery Corporation, Washington Trust, Dunkin’ Donuts, National Grid, RI Turnpike & Bridge Authority, Fidelity Trust, Earth Day RI, RI Mobile Sportsfishermen, who join Audubon and The Ocean Conservancy the event’s sponsors.

Barrington
Mussachuck Beach: Melissa Horne at 245-4828 or mhorne@wszlaw.com
Allins Cove: Laura Ricketson-Dwyer at 783-7886 or  lricketson@crmc.ri.gov 
RISD Beach (west of Town Beach): Bill & Deb Dwyer at 245-2684 or wtd@cox.net

Block Island
Town Beach: Kim Gaffett at 466-2224 or kimg@riconnect.com

Bristol
Jacob’s Point (Audubon Environmental Education Center): Cathy Corey at 245-7500 ext. 19 or ccorey@asri.org
Waypossett at the Narrows: Steve & Philip Johnson at 254-1963 or SEJET@WORLDNET.ATT.NET   
Pebble Beach/Ferry Rd: K.C. Ferrara at 254-3765 or kferrara@rwu.edu

Charlestown
Quonochontaug: Mark Bullinger at 322-0610 or mbullinger@gmail.com
Charlestown Town Beach: James McMonigle at 782-0312 or mcmonscience@hotmail.com.
Charlestown Breachway: Wayne Huot at 788-0361 or whuot@tlic.com

E. Greenwich
E. Greenwich Cove: Sandra Saunders at s.saunders@uri.edu

E. Providence
Bold Point: Monica Allard Cox at 874-6937 or allard@gso.uri.edu
Sabin Point: Rick Goff at 434-7948 or rickgoff@cox.net

Jamestown
Fort Wetherill: Jack Yando at 787-4929 (onshore cleanup) and Debra Greenhalgh at 742-4898 (underwater cleanup).

Little Compton
Town Shoreline (various locations): Sandra Farr at 635-8640 or jsfarr@cox.net

Middletown
Sachuest Point: Gary Paquette at 943-0610 or gary@paquettes.org
Second Beach: Steve Sheeky at 952-0431 or steve.sheeky@gmail.com.
Third Beach: Kelly Fox at 846-2577 x32 or kfox@normanbirdsanctuary.org

Narragansett
Aunt Carrie’s Beach: Heather Curzio at 316-5776 or Heather_Curzio@hotmail.com
Ferry Beach (South Ferry Road, URI Narragansett Bay Campus): Pam Rubinoff at   783-0841 or rubi@crc.uri.edu
Salty Brine/Sand Hill Cove: Rosalie Fairman at 789-6579

Newport
King’s Beach: Tom Freeman at 848-7619 or Hotdealtom@aol.com 

North Kingstown
Compass Rose Beach: Laurie Johnson at 294-0299 or laurij@uri.edu
Mount View: Janine Piavia at 885-5264

Portsmouth
Common Fence Point: Mil Kinsella at 633-2606
Pheasant Beach: Bob Gessler at 683-3860 or judybob.gessler@verizon.net

Providence
Fields Point Beach (Sept. 8th):  Stephany Hessler at 272-3540 x 130 or shessler@savebay.org (cleanup will be held on Sept. 8th)
Woonasquatucket River: Lisa Aurecchia at 861-9046 or lisa@woonasquatucket.org

Prudence Island (September 22nd)
Kristen Van Wagner at 683-1478 or kristin@nbnerr.org (cleanup will be held on September 22nd.) Pre-registration is important for this cleanup! Volunteers coming over on the ferry will leave Bristol at 10 am and return at 4:30 pm.

South Kingstown
Moonstone Beach (west): Tina Marasco at 783-2404 or marascals@cox.net

Town Beach: Ray Nickerson at 789-9331 x245 or rnickerson@southkingstownri.com
E. Matunuck State Beach: Leigh Stedman at 782-1612 or jri3841u@gmail.com

Tiverton
Grinnell's Beach/Fogland Point: Diane Sunderland at 624-8207

Warren
Laurel Park, Kickemuit River: Robin Hagan Aguiar at 245-2811 or aguiarfamily@msn.com

Warwick
Buttonwoods: Zandy Gray at 732-7870, ext. 107 or zgray@westbaycap.org
Goddard Park: Ellen Forman at 334-2568 or mforman2@cox.net
Oakland Beach: Sandra Davidson at 965-8752 or sandra16@att.net
Conimicut Point: Marcia Peña at 921-3267 or mahciap@gmail.com

Westerly
Misquamicut Beach (east side)& Weekapaug Breachway: Mark Burbelo at 322-7134 or mburbelo@gza.com