The world is coming to St. Croix in May for the St. Croix “Beauty and the Beast” Triathlon, and to get the island ready for visitors, local agencies are looking for volunteers for the first island-wide Crucian Litter Elimination Action Now (CLEAN) campaign.
CLEAN will be held the weekend before the triathlon, April 24 and 25.
The drive is being organized by the St. Croix Environmental Association (SEA) and the V.I. Waste Management Authority.
The goals of this effort are to: promote environmental stewardship; ensure the island’s beauty stands out to visiting athletes and spectators; and facilitate an opportunity for community service and unity amongst St. Croix residents.
The organizers are asking groups, churches and businesses to adopt sections of the 56-mile course. Volunteers will bag litter between 8 and 11 a.m. on the two days. Volunteers will leave the bags by the roadside, to be picked up by a waste-removal service.
“We are looking for eager citizens to act as a coordinator for each section,” the organizers wrote in the press release announcing the project. “The section coordinator will be responsible for organizing volunteers and supplies for their sections and will communicate with Lynnea Roberts, SEA’s Environmental Education Coordinator. Biodegradable bags and gloves will be provided.”
The organizers suggest the coordinators recruit 15 to 20 volunteers to cover a section in three hours or less. Students requesting documentation of community service need to bring their form to the cleanup for their group coordinator to sign.
Participating groups can elect to become a Preserving Paradise Partner. The WMA’s “Preserving Paradise Campaign” encourages three main areas of the community to share the authority’s mission by participating in one or more of its programs.
The Business Partnership encourages business to join with the authority to improve the environment and work together on joint programs or projects. The community aspect targets neighborhoods and homeowners’ associations to clean and beautify their areas. The residents are also asked to be the “eyes and ears” of the WMA by letting officials know when there are solid waste or wastewater issues in their neighborhoods.
The Kids Program teaches students how to keep their schools, playgrounds, neighborhoods and beaches clean by having them take a pledge to encourage their family and friends to support their efforts.
Anyone interested in volunteering to be a section coordinator can contact Roberts by Friday. There will be a coordinator meeting at 6 p.m. April 15 at SEA’s office in Gallows Bay.
