International Coastal Cleanup Day is this Saturday, Sept. 19, and you can join in along the Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail.

The annual cleanup happens worldwide, thanks to the Ocean Conservancy. Locally, Keep Lee County Beautiful is our coordinator with loads of help from volunteers.

The cleanup is significant because it is the only cleanup in which trash is collected and recorded. The data cards are then sent to the Ocean Conservancy, which uses the information in the development of new environmental protection acts and change in the behaviors that cause marine debris in the first place. The data cards are designed to have groups of four working together, three to collect litter and debris and one to record the findings.

All the info is at http://www.klcb.org/sp_coastalcleanup.htm. There are seven check-in sites at which organizers will have gloves, bags and data cards to hand out. The sites and details are listed at Keep Lee County Beautiful’s Web site. KLCB gets help from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Lee County Schools and the Bonita Beach Improvement Association.

Most of us realize that litter poses a threat to wildlife. Plastic bags are mistaken for jellyfish and eaten by sea turtles. Lost and discarded fishing tackle is eaten by birds and becomes an entangling deathtrap to many types of wildlife.

All data is recorded by volunteers for this event. In 2008, more than 950 volunteers – including anglers, paddlers and divers – turned out to clean up Lee County shorelines. Thanks to their efforts, about 4,500 pounds of trash and monofilament fishing line was collected from the area's coastline and waterways.

Plan to spend some time in your kayak or canoe from 9 a.m. to noon, and bring your friends.

If you want to support Keep Lee County Beautiful as well as a paddling group, get this:

The Florida Paddling Trails Association will be scouring the area between Bunche Beach and the Sanibel Causeway Islands. Fort Myers kayaker Mike Standerfer will be at the Bunche Beach check-in. A FPTA board member and fellow county colleague of mine, Nancy MacPhee, will be at the Sanibel Causeway Island check-in.

It’s part of FPTA’s mission to reduce impact through education and assist in the resource management of Florida’s blueways. Seeing as I think our Calusa Blueway is the star of Florida’s trail system, let’s pitch in and help. Learn more about FPTA at www.floridapaddlingtrails.com.

If you can’t make it to one of the designated spots, then just hop in your boat and clean up the shoreline closest to you. Of course, by joining in an organized location, your data can go to help make changes worldwide.

See you Saturday!