South Florida welcomes the annual Baynanza clean-up day for the 41st time, helping keep healthy of one of the most important ecological systems. Since the beginning of this event in 1982, volunteers have helped to remove over one million pounds of debris from oceans and lakes.
This past weekend, thousands of volunteers gathered across 31 sites from Homestead to Aventura to help remove trash from local waterways. This year’s event included boats, kayaks and kid-friendly events to make sure that everyone had a chance to join the fun.
Lorna Mejia-Lopez, chief of outreach at the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, reminds people of the importance of taking care of our bay.
“This is the same water we use every day. It is the same water that we use to brush our teeth, take a bath, and drink most importantly…” said Mejia-Lopez.
Baynanza teaches residents that everything they do on the water and dry land affects the health of our bay; the prevention of litter in our waterways is central to their mission.
You may have missed this year’s celebration, but the most significant differences start in the smallest ways.