After a rainy night, Saturday September 19, 2009 dawned with a gorgeous day for the Coastal Clean-up. With help from State Park biologist Ann Harvey, PKA board members set up the registration tent at the West Recreation Area of Perdido Key State. The volunteers starting arrived bright and early and ready to go.

We signed in 115 volunteers, as well as our PKA members, volunteers from Friends of Big Lagoon and State Park personnel. There were two Girl Scout troops, students from PJC, UWF, Escambia HS and Pine HS. The Pensacola Parrothead Club came out as well as many neighbors and family groups.

Board member Alan Dennis developed an innovative zone plan and with color coded maps and flags making it easy to direct volunteers all the way down the Key, from the fence at Gulf Islands National Seashore west to the Florida / Alabama state line. It worked like a charm. We had permission to enter the dunes for the clean-up and were able to do a thorough sweep on both sides of Perdido Key Drive, over the dunes, all along the Gulf beaches and the access parking lots. PKA members from the Waterview neighborhood cleaned up along River Road. In addition to filling up a lot of trash cans, we deposited 1,460 lbs of debris in a construction dumpster, which was delivered and picked up courtesy of Escambia County Utilities Authority. The water and snacks for volunteers were provided by Winn Dixie at Sorrento & Old Gulf Beach Hwy. Thank you so much to everyone who participated!!

More photos here.