MacDill Coastal Cleanup

  • Published
  • By 6th Civil Engineer Squadron
  • Environmental Flight
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  As a pre-Earth Day celebration and in preparation for the Phoenix Rally, more than 140 military and civilian volunteers participated in MacDill's annual Coastal Cleanup April 13.

The majority of volunteers were service members from a wide range of organizations, including the 6th Air Mobility Wing, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, the Joint Communications Support Element, the 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron, the 927th Air Refueling Wing, and the 310th Airlift Squadron. Not to be outdone by the military, folks from Clark Reality, U.S. Water Services, Hillsborough Community College, and the local community volunteered their time to clean the coastline.

Although school was in session the day of the cleanup, there were a few youngsters excused from a fun day of studying to participate in this year's event. After a safety briefing, the large group broke into five teams, each tackling a separate section of shoreline. Because participation was so strong, the aim was to clean the entire 4.3 miles of accessible shoreline stretching from the Bayshore Gate to Raccoon Creek at the base beach.

The weather was sunny and warm and spirits were high as each group embarked on its section of shoreline. Although most of the sections were easily traversed, every group had to deal with some adversity. Be it the treacherous limestone boulders that armor much of the shoreline, the thorny vegetation growing along the dunes, or the tangled mangroves that protect the coast, every section had areas that presented a challenge. With such a strong military turnout this year, it's not surprising that the majority of the volunteers leapt at the opportunity to tackle the "Command Section." The volunteers forged tidal creeks and slogged their way through gnarled mangroves, muddy salt marsh, razor-sharp oyster reefs, and a jungle of roots and vines to collect litter and debris from the tangle of vegetation that protects the southeastern corner of MacDill.

The cleanup was completed in record time, and the entire 4.3 miles of shoreline was scrubbed clean, as volunteers collected more than 1,200 pounds of trash and floating debris. The most common items found were plastic and glass bottles, Styrofoam cups and lost articles of clothing. Some unique items found this year included a 3-foot square plywood box, a large fake bird, a large sign, and about 100 golf balls (which were returned to the driving range).