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Twin Ports Collaborates for Coastal Clean-Up

The cities of Superior and Duluth are hosting watershed clean-ups during September. Join your friends and neighbors in keeping the Lake Superior watershed clean alongside international partners!

Mayor Emily Larson of Duluth and Mayor Jim Paine of Superior are once again teaming up to kick off a month of cleanups in the Twin Ports area! Media are invited to join them for the 2019 Mayors Kick-off for the Coastal Cleanup at Rice’s Point, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 from 10 AM-12 PM. This press event will include brief statements by both mayors, followed by a cleanup. Students from Duluth’s Many Rivers Montessori School and the Superior Lake Superior Elementary School are participating in the kick-off event by cleaning the area around Rice’s Point.

“I am thrilled to be part of this cleanup effort with Mayor Jim Paine as coastal Twin Ports communities that understand the significance of collaboration, shared resources, and the preservation of our critical Lake Superior Watershed. We can also be proud of the work being done today which helps to sustain and maintain a healthy shoreline which feeds the health of our communities tomorrow,” said Duluth Mayor Emily Larson.

Last year volunteers in the Twin Ports picked up nearly 5,000 lbs of garbage, garbage that, without their effort, would end up in the local rivers and ultimately Lake Superior. Contact Cheryl or Megan (contacts listed below) for more information about participating in the 2019 Twin Ports Coastal Cleanup!

The kick-off is just the start to cleanups happening throughout the Twin Ports during the month of September 2019. By participating in the Twin Ports Coastal Clean-Up, volunteers in the Twin Ports will be acting locally on a global event. This event is part of a global project called The International Coastal Cleanup. Since the Cleanup began in 1986, nearly 12 million people – all volunteers – from more than 90 countries and 55 US states and territories have taken hands-on action to clean shores around the planet. All of the debris collected will be documented and the data is used to target pollution prevention programs for our region.

Volunteers may choose their own location, date, and time to clean up. Not limited to beaches, volunteers can choose cleanup sites along riverbanks and roadsides, in their neighborhoods, or at a school or business. Cleanups in these urban areas prevent debris from entering storm drains which flow directly into Lake Superior.

Organizations currently participating in the Twin Ports Coastal Cleanup include: Alliance for the Great Lakes, City of Duluth, City of Superior, Duluth Public Schools and the Duluth Y, Great Lakes Elementary, Superior East End Neighborhood, Midwest Energy Resources, Regional Stormwater Protection Team, St. Louis River Alliance, St. Luke’s Mariner Clinic, Superior Sunrise Rotary, YMCA of Douglas Co, UWS, WITC, and WI Sea Grant. Sponsors for the 2019 Twin Ports Coastal Cleanup are Superior DQ Grill & Chill and Culver’s. 

At all events, please dress for the weather and wear appropriate shoes. To save on disposable materials used in the clean-up, participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves and buckets for collecting trash if they can. Garbage bags, gloves, and other clean-up materials will be provided as needed.

For more information or to host a site in Duluth, contact Cheryl Skafte at 218-730-4334 or via email cskafte@DuluthMN.gov

To learn about the Alliance for the Great Lakes please contact Jennifer J. Caddick, Vice President, Communications and Engagement at 312-445-9760 or jcaddick@greatlakes.org

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