Sint Maarten's International Coastal Cleanup got a kick start just before the designated month of September with a group of 23 visiting MBA students from Kellogg University. The students from this prestigious Business and Management University are vacationing on St. Maarten before their school starts next week. Students took part in this eco-activity to help clean the oceans and waterways of trash, plastic pollution and construction/building debris littering Little Key island in the Simpson Bay Lagoon.The group of students and PRIDE Foundation representatives set off by dinghy with Isle de Sol representative Paul Ellinger to Little Key located in the Simpson Bay Lagoon across from the Princess Juliana International Airport.
Volunteers were confronted with numerous boat wrecks, broken dinghies, old broken jet ski's that were too heavy for human hands to remove from the island. In addition, the island has boat wrecks tied up to the island, all in hazardous conditions, squatters live on boat wrecks, one squatter even has a dog living on the wreck.
Volunteers hauled away 14 bags of trash, consisting of much plastic pollution, plastic bags and bottles, building materials, and the odd trash items like a ladies tank top, a mens trouser, a string of christmas lights, and a propane tank.
A Total of 347 pounds of trash was collected and inventoried on the special itemized ICC card.
Sint Maarten PRIDE Foundation thanks Isle de Sol Marina Management for donating transportation to Little Key and Paul Ellinger for assisting with this event. Isle De Sol played a part in this cleanup event as part of the Blue Flag clean marinas requirement.
For more pictures, please visit the St. Maarten PRIDE Foundation Facebook page.