The 22nd Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup is slated for Saturday, September 19 from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Since the beginning of this annual event, over one million pounds of trash and debris have been removed from 3,000 miles of Alabama shorlines, including the Gulf Coast beaches and inland waterways. Some 55,000 volunteers have taken part in the event over the years, and it keeps growing each year.

For more than two decades, volunteers have flocked to Alabama beaches and inland waterways to help remove the inevitable buildup of trash and debris affecting our State’s natural habitat. Also, these volunteers hope to change the behaviors that cause pollution. As recently released by the National Resources Defense Council, Gulf Shores area beaches received a 5-star rating for their cleanliness and sanitary conditions. Not only is this event beneficial for locals, but it is also vital to the area’s number one industry: tourism. Without clean beaches, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach would never be where they are today with regard visitor satisfaction and enjoyment.

In addition to the eyesore that accumulated trash and debris causes, marine debris is also responsible for the death of marine mammals, birds and turtles each year. The 2008 event focused on monofilament fishing line, which is a problem for all marine animals.

The Alabama Coastal Cleanup is part of an even bigger event, The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. In 2008, over 100 countries and 42 U.S. States took part in the International Coastal Cleanup.

If you would like to volunteer or create a team yourself, please visit the 22nd Annual Coastal Cleanup website. For lodging information, check out Kaiser Realty’s vast selection of Gulf Shores beach homes and condos. Also be sure to look at Kaiser’s Current Specials, as well as condo hot deals and beach house hot deals.